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FROM   THE   LIBRARY   OF 

REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.  D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM    TO 

THE   LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


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PUBLISHED    AND    FOR    SALE    BY 


ROBINS  &  SMITH, 

NO.    170  MAIN   STREET,    HARTFORD. 

Hall's  Series  of  Reading  Books, 

The  Reader's  Guide 

Is  the  first  in  a  series  of  very  popular  reading  books,  by  John  Hall, 
Esp,  late  Principal  of  the  Ellington  High  School,  Conn.  This  book 
is  designed  for  High  Schools  and  Academies.     l-2mo.  sheep,  333  pages. 

Tlie  Reader's  72»tinal 

Is  the  second  in  the  series,  and  is  designed  for  Common  Schools. 
Of  the  first  edition  of  this  work,  2000  copies  were  taken  off  the  pub- 
lishers hands  in  about  eight  weeks  from  the  time  of  its  publication, 
and  it  has  the  best  evidence  of  being  a  superior  book  for  Common 
Schools. 

Tlie  Primary  Resider. 

This  book  is  the  third  and  last  of  the  series,  and  is  designed  fcr  the 
younger  classes  in  Common  Schools. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  Recommendations  received  by 
the  publishers  of  the  above  series  of  reading  books. 

From  J.  P.  Brace,  Principal  of  the  Hartford  Female  Scininaiy. 

I  have  examined,  carefully,  the  new  Reading  Book  of  Judge  Hall's, 
and  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  I  have  never  met  with  one  so 
well  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  community  as  this  treatise.  The 
care,  the  taste,  and  the  judgment  exhibited  in  the  selection  of  the 
pieces, — the  appropriateness  cf  the  rules  to  the  habits  of  New  England 
Schools  and  Colleges,  and  to  the  best  models  of  our  New  England 
orators;  the  great  distinctness  with  which  they  are  expressed,  all  ren- 
der it  a  valuable  book  for  our  schools  and  academies. 


From  Mr.  D.  H.  Chase,  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  School,  con- 
netted  with  the  Weeleyan  University,  Middletown,  Conn. 

An  examination  of  "  The  Reader's  Guide"  has  satisfied  me  that  it 
more  fully  meets  the  wants  of  Schools  than  any  similar  work  now  in 
use.  rta  merits  consist  mainly  in  an  excellent  analysis  of  Primitive 
Sounds — an  accurate  description  of  the  positions  of  the  Organs  of 
Speech — copious  instructions  on  Inflections  and  Prosody,  and  an  ad- 
mirable adaptedness  of  the  selections  to  the  practice  of  the  Scholars. 
I  shall  adopt  the  work,  and  recommend  it  to  the  attention  of  others 
engaged  in  instruction. 

Principal  of  Connecticut  Literary  Institution. 

I  have  examined  "  The  Reader's  Guide"  by  John  Hall,  Esq.,  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Ellington  School,  and  am  gratified  that  the  public  are 
furnished  in  this  work  with  so  valuable  an  auxiliary  to  the  attainment 
of  a  correct  st)  le  of  reading,  and  shall  immediately  introduce  it  into 
the  Seminars. 

From  Wityiam  M.  Holland,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages. 

Washington  College,  Hartford. 

Few  persons  read  well — few,  even  of  those  whose  duties  require 
them  to  read  in  public.  A  practical  guide  to  the  attainment  of  this 
useful  art,  cannot  fail  to  be  acceptable  both  to  teachers  and  pupils. 
The  ripe  scholarship  and  judgment  of  Mr.  Hall,  together  with  his 
great  experience  and  success  as  a  teacher,  led  me  to  expect  a  valuable 
treatise  when  I  opened  his  volume,  and  the  expectation  has  been  fully 
raalized.  In  Part  First,  the  analysis  of  the  elementary  sounds  in  our 
language,  and  the  description  of  the  position  of  the  organs  in  firming 
them,  are  striking,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  wholly  original.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  the  author  has  devoted  to  this  part  of  his  work  great  study 
and  practice  ;  and  its  utility  will  readily  be  perceived.  The  new 
ideas  in  this  part  of  the  volume,  will  be  of  more  value  to  the  practical 
teacher,  than  the  cost  of  the  whole. 

Inflections,  Cadence,  Emphasis,  &c,  are  discussed  in  the  Second 
Part.  The  author's  principles  and  rules  are  evidently  the  result  of 
original  investigation  and  experience  ;  and  are  much  more  concise, 
clear  and  practical,  than  any  others  I  have  seen. 

Prosody  is  very  properly  made  the  subject  of  the  Third  Part.  Much 
new  light  is  thrown  upon  the  quantity  of  syllables  in  poetry;  and  the 
different  kinds  of  English  verse  are  briefly  described  and  illustrated  by 
examples. 

The  Fourth  Part  consists  of  well  selected  reading  lessons, so  marked 
as  to  exemplify  the  preceding  rubs  and  principles.  The  lessons,  so 
far  a-;  I  have  read  them,  are  excellent. 

Altogether,  the  "  Reader's  Guide"  appears  to  me  the  best  treatise  on 
the  art  of  reading,  both  for  teachers  and  pupils,  I  have  ever  seen. 

From  Professor  Emerson,  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary. 
I  am  happy  to  say,  that  I  think  the  Reader's  Guide  a  truly  excellent 
work,  every  where  fraught  with  useful  remarks  and  directions,  and 
characterized  by  an  air  of  original  and  interesting  investigation,  which 
is  fitted  to  produce  a  two-fold  benefit  to  the  pupil — to  lead  him  both 
to  think  for  himself,  and  to  think  right,  on  the  important  practical 
topics  which  are  there  presented.  I  hope  it  will  have  a  wide  circula- 
tion. On  some  minor  points,  I  should  feel  disposed  to  difler  from  the 
author.  I  think,  for  instance,  that  there  are  more  vowel  sounds  in 
our  language  than  are  enumerated  in  the  book.  But  the  grand  princi- 
ples scum  to  mo  to  Uj  as  well  founded  as  they  are  happily  presented. 


3 

-Fro/71  Professor  E.  A.  Andrews,  Boston,  to  the  Author. 
So  far  as  I  have  been  abl^  to  examine  the  "  Reader's  Guide,"  and  to 
reflect  upon  the  principles  upon  which  it  is  founded,  it  appears  to  me 
deserving  of  a  very  high  place  in  the  class  of  books  intended  to  teach 
the  art  of  Reading.  The  account  which  you  have  given  of  the  simple 
sounds  of  the  language,  and  the  notation  by  means  of  which  the  various 
inflections  of  the  voice  are  denoted,  are  peculiarly  clear  and  satisfactc  ry. 
The  reading  lessons  are  probably  second  to  none  which  have  been  pub- 
lished, in  their  adaptation  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  selected. 

From  Hem  an  Humphrey,  D.  D.,  President  of  Amherst  College,  to 

the  Author. 
John  Hall,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir,— I  have  looked  over  your  "  Reader's  Guide"  with  no  or- 
dinary interest  and  satisfaction.  Any  one  may  see  at  a  glance,  that  it 
embodies  the  results  of  a  great  deal  of  experience  ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
an  enlightened  public  cannot  be  slow  to  appreciate  and  acknowledge 
its  merits.  For  myself,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  I  am  not 
acquainted  with  any  elementary  book  of  the  kind  so  well  adapted,  in 
all  respects,  to  answer  the  great  end  to  which  it  aims. 

I  agree  with  you,  perfectly,  that  the  legitimate  object  of  education 
is  to  elevate  the  mind  of  the  pupil ;  and  that  this  never  can  be  done  by 
that  extreme  simplification,  which  is  now  so  popular  in  the  whole 
range  of  elementary  instruction. 

I  am  particularly  pleased  with  the  Parts  I.  and  II.  fraught,  as  they 
are,  with  the  original  and  discriminating  remarks  in  regard  to  training 
the  organs  of  speech,  to  accent,  faults  of  utterance,  cadence,  pauses, 
interrogative  sentences,  emphasis,  &c.  This  portion  of  the  "Read- 
er's Guide,"  must  have  cost  you  much  time,  as  well  as  careful  and 
discriminating  observation. 

Prosody,  as  you  remark,  has  been  strangely  going  out  of  fashion,  of 
late  ;  and  I  am  glad  that  you  have  ^iven  it  that  prominence  in  Part  III. 
which  its  importance  so  justly  demands. 

Wishing  you  every  encouragement  in  your  efforts  to  advance  the 
cause  of  education,  I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

From  Simeon  Hart,  Esq.,  late  Principal  of  Farmington  Academy. 

After  an  examination  of  Judge  Hall's  "Reader's  Guide,"  I  am  pre- 
pared to  express  my  conviction  of  its  excellence,  and  its  peculiar 
adaptedness  to  the  wants  of  our  academies  and  schools. 

The  judicious  author,  long  engaged  in  superintending  the  instruc- 
tion of  youth,  is  eminently  qualified  to  direct  and  aid  others,  who  are 
devoting  their  lives  to  the  same  employment. 

The  Reader's  Manual:  designed  for  the  use  of  Common  Schools 
in  the  United  States.     By  John  Hall,  late   Principal  of  the  Ellington 
School,  author  of  the  Reader's  Guide,  and  Primary  Reader. 
From  the  Connecticut  Observer. 

"  The  work  now  before  us,  bears  the  same  marks  of  sound  judgment, 
accurate  taste,  and  virtuous  feeling,  which  distinguish  his  farmer 
publications.  We  doubt  not  it  will  find  its  way  into  all  the  schools  of 
Connecticut;  and  we  can  recommend  to  our  brethren  in  Massachu- 
setts, whose  school  books  we  thankfully  receive,  in  all  deserving 
cases,  to  adopt  this  work  in  place  of  certain  reading  books  of  very  in- 
erior  grade,  which  we  are  about  to  cast  out." 


From  the  Editor  of  the  Cangregationalist,  Hartford,  August,  1S39, 
The  Reader's  Manual.  The  author  of  this  book  is  well  known 
by  the  public  as  an  eminent  critical  scholar,  and  a  successful  teacher 
of  youth.  Much  of  his  peculiar  skill  in  the  business  of  teaching,  has 
been  understood  to  result  from  the  favorite  application  of  his  ingen- 
ious powers  to  the  practice  of  philosophical  discrimination  and  mental 
analysis.  This,  too,  is  just  the  cast  of  mind  which  would  be  of  special 
service  in  an  attempt  to  prepare  a  reading  book  on  the  principle  of  the 
one  before  us,  in  which  not  only  the  selection  of  pieces  appears  to  be 
peculiarly  judicious,  but  a  system  of  notation  is  employed  to  guide  the 
learner  in  the  modulations  of  his  voice,  agreeably  to  the  nicest  and  yet 
the  most  natural  dictates  of  the  sense. 

The  Reader's  Manual  is  one  of  a  series  of  reading  books  by  the  same 
author,  consisting  of  the  Reader's  Guide,  and  the  Primary  Reader,  and 
intended  for  the  use  of  a  class  of  learners  between  those  for  whom  the 
other  books  were  designed,  and  which  is  by  far  the  most  numerous 
class  in  our  common  schools. 

From  C.  Hammond ',  Principal  of  Monson  Academy. 
We  would  present  our  acknowledgments  for  the  copies  of  HalTs 
Reading  books,  made  to  us  last  summer,  and  inform  you,  that  they  are 
introduced  upon  our  catalogue  of  books  used  in  the  institution.  We 
think  thern  the  best  of  any  we  have  yet  seen,  to  illustrate  and  teach 
the  principles  of  a  just  and  elegant  elocution.  The  name  and  literary 
standing  of  the  author  is  alone  an  ample  recommendation  of  the  works. 

From  I.  H  Gallup,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  the  Norwich  Eclectic  School. 
I  have  examined  the  Reader's  Manual,  and  cannot  allow  this  oppor- 
tunity to  pass  without  expressing  my  admiration  of  the  work.  Its 
selection  of  matter  surpasses  any  other  I  have  ever  seen,  for  the  same 
purpose,  and,  for  its  tendency  to  promote  the  interests  of  morality  and 
religion,  is,  I  believe,  unequalled.  I  shall  use  every  exertion  to  in- 
troduce this  excellent  Reading  Book  wherever  my  influence  extends, 
and  most  cordially  do  I  wish  the  author  and  publishers  the  success 
they  so  richly  deserve. 

An  Improved  System  of  Arithmetic, 

For  the  use  of  Common  Schools  and  Academies,  by  J.  Olney,  A.  M. 
12mo.  312  pages.  The  following  are  among  the  numerous  Recom- 
mendations furnished  the  publishers. 

The  following  is  from  Rev.  Silas  Totten,  D.  D.,  President  of  Wash- 
ington College,  Hartford,  Conn. 
I  have  carefully  examined  Olney's  Arithmetic,  and  think  from  its 
simplicity,  clearness,  and  practical  nature,  that  it  would  be  a  useful 
book  for  Common  Schools. 

From  Mr.  S.  Bliss,  Principal  of  the  South  School,  Hartford. 
I  have  examined,  and  used  in  my  School,  "A  Practical  System  of 
Arithmetic,"  by  J.  Olney,  A.  M.,  and  believe  it  to  be  just  such  a  work 
as  our  schools  have  for  a  long  time  greatly  needed.  The  rules  are 
given  in  plain,  concise,  and  familiar  language,  such  as  any  child  of 
ordinary  capacity  can  fully  understand.  The  ground  which  the  author 
has  taken,  I  consider  a  judicious  one,  and  wish  him  much  success, 


From  A.  M.  Hungerford,  Principal  of  Southington  Academy. 
I  consider  your  System  of  Arithmetic  better  adapted  to  facilitate  the 
progress   of  the  learner,  and  more  practical  than  any  now  in  use.     As 
sucxi,  i  would  cheerfully  recommend  it  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
improvement  of  our  Common  schools. 

From  Rev.  J.  Going,  D.  D.,  President  of  Granville  College,  Ohio. 
This  treatise  on  Arithmetic,  will,  we  think,  fully  sustain  Mr.  Olnev's 
previous  reputation  as  a  writer  of  school  classics.  It  contains  a  great 
ileal  in  a  small  compass,  being  more  comprehensive  in  its  plan  than 
most  works  of  an  elementary  character,  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  as 
simple  as  the  nature  of  the  case  admits  or  requires  In  the  secenJ 
part  to  each  branch  of  the  science,  he  gives  an  illustration  of  e;.ch 
rule  and  process,  and  thus  renders  it  an  intelligible  and  rational  afiair. 
The  author  thus  avoids  the  two  extremes  found  in  many  other  works, 
of  either  being,  on  the  one  hand,  altogether  didactic,  atlbrding  to  the 
pupil  mere  authority,  or,  on  the  other,  of  explaining  and  simplifying 
every  thing  to  insipidity. 

In  the  Hands  of  a  skilful  teacher,  this  work  will  well  prepare  the 
learner  who  shall  thoroughly  study  it,  for  the  counting-room,  and 
enable  him  to  perform,  with  facility,  the  various  arithmetical  calcula- 
tions required  in  the  business  transactions  of  life. 

From  Rev.  E.  Davis,  late  Principal  of  the  Westfield  Academy,  Mass. 
1  have  examined  Olney's  Arithmetic,  and  have  submitted  it  to  some 
few  school  teachers.     It  is  our   unanimous  opinion,  that  it  is  a  very 
valuable  book — one  that  we  can  conscientiously  recommend. 

Fr 07ii  Mr.  O.  JVor  cross,  of  Belcherlown,  Mass.,  a  gentleman  who 
deservedly  ranks  high  as  a  Mathematician. 
Mr.  Olney's  Arithmetic  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  work  worthy  of  recom- 
mendation. It  contains  as  much  of  the  science  of  numbers,  as  prop- 
erly belongs  to  Arithmetic.  Its  subjects  are  well  arranged,  and  its 
illustrations  are  as  scientific  as  the  capacities  of  most  students  require. 
Persons  who  think  for  themselves,  will  undoubtedly  find  the  work 
fully  equal  to  its  description  in  the  preface. 

From  B.  F.  Hedden,  Teacher  of  the  Public  School,  Mystic  Bridge, 
Stonington,  Conn. 
This  is  to  certify,  that  I  have  examined  Olney's  Arithmetic,  and 
consider  it  better  calculated  to  facilitate  the  progress  of  scholars  in 
this  branch,  than  any  other  work  I  have  seen  ;  and  shall  introduce  it 
it  into  my  school  as  soon  as  practicable.  The  improvements  in  this 
work  are  numerous  and  important.  1  can  therefore  cheerfully  recom- 
mend it  to  the  attention  of  teachers,  and  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  the 
improvement  of  our  Schools. 

From  Ebenezer  Denison,Jr.  Esq.,  Stonington,  Conn. 
Having  recently  had  opportunity  to  examine  a  System  of  Arithmetic 
by  J.  Olney,  I  am  pleased  to  say  that  I  can  accord  to  it  my  unqualified 
approbation.  It  possesses  many  and  decided  improvements  over  these 
already  in  use;  as  it  contains  some  things  entirely  new,  and  simplifies 
and  abridges  some  rules  which  have  been  both  tedious  and  perplexing. 
It  is  just  such  a  work  as  is  needed  in  our  schools,  and  will  be  leund  an 
invaluable  acquisition  to  our  primary  book9.  1  have  had  occasion  to 
1* 


instruct  in  almost  all  the  systems  now  used,  and  think  this  should,  as 
I  hope  it  speedily  will,  take  the  place  of  them  all. 

From  Br.  B.  S.  Hart,  an  eminent  Mathematician. 
I  have  cursorily  examined  Olney's  "  Improved  System  of  Arithme- 
tic," lately  published,  and  am  highly  pleased  with  the  arrangement  of 
the  subjects,  and  the  familiar  and  clear  illustration  of  some  of  the  more 
difficult  parts.  Especially  worthy  of  notice  is  the  method  of  extract- 
ing the  Cube,  and  other  Roots.  This  method  was  originally  applied 
to  the  solution  of  Cubic  and  higher  Equations,  by  Messrs.  Atkinson, 
Homer  and  Holdred,  who  discovered  it  independently  of  each  other. 
It  has  never,  to  my  knowledge, been  applied  in  any  Arithmetic  to  the 
extraction  of  the  Cube,  and  higher  roots,  previous  to  its  insertion  in 
Mr.  Olney's.  This  fact  gives  this  work  a  great  advantage  over  all 
others  on  the  subject,  and  entitles  it  to  universal  introduction  into  our 
schools.  The  rule  for  finding  the  least  common  multiple,  is  the  only 
one  which  will  hold  good  in  all  cases  ;  and  though  well  known  to  Al- 
gebraists, it  is  surprising  that  it  should  so  long  have  escaped  the  notice 
of  writers  on  Arithmetic.  On  the  whole,  I  can  cheerfully  recommend 
this  work  to  all  teachers  and  others  concerned  in  the  education  of  youth, 
as  the  best  system  of  Arithmetic  yet  published,  and  heartily  wish  its 
adoption  into  our  schools. 

From  J.  E.  Wood  worth,  Teacher  of JYew  London  Grammar  School. 
I  have  had  opportunity  but  for  a  cursory  examination  of  Olney's 
"  Improved  System  of  Arithmetic,"  yet  feel  prepared  to  express  a  de- 
cidedly favorable  opinion  of  its  merits.  Among  many  excellencies 
which  it  has  in  common  with  other  similar  treatises  of  deserved  repu- 
tation, are  some  peculiar  to  itself,  such  as  the  clear  analysis  from 
which  is  deduced  the  rule  of  operation  in  the  solution  of  problems,  the 
demonstration  of  the  ground  rules,  &c,  which  entitle  it  to  the  very 
favorable  consideration  and  patronage  of  the  judicious  public. 

From  F.  A.  Fisk,  Principal  of  Bar  re  Academy,  Mass. 
I  have  attentively  examined  Mr.  Olney's  New  Arithmetic,  and  after 
a  years  practical  acquaintance  with  it  as  a  teacher,  am  prepared  to  ex- 
press unhesitatingly  my  entire  confidence  in  it-as  a  work  of  unusual 
merit,  characterized  by  a  simplicity  truly  philosophical,  and  admirably 
adapted  to  the  minds  for  which  it  is  intended.  I  have  invariably 
found,  on  the  part  of  pupils,  a  clearer  and  readier  apprehension  of  the 
principles  of  the  science,  from  this  book  than  from  any  other  which  I 
have  employed.  I  cannot  avoid  expressing  the  conviction  that,  should 
its  use  become  universal,  the  science  of  Arithmetic  would  be  far  better 
understood. 

"  At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  School  Committee  of  the  town  of  West 

Springfield,  Oct.  29, 1839. 

Voted,  That,  having  examined  an  "  Improved  System  of  Arithmetic, 
by  J.  Olney,"  we  hereby  recommend  it  as  embracing  all  the  principal 
excellencies  of  previous  works  uoonthe  subject;  while,  by  its  simpli- 
city of  arrangement  and  clearness  of  explanation,  it  altogether  surpasses 
them  ;  and  that  we  also  recommend  that  it  be  introduced  into  the  sev- 
eral schools  in  this  town,  as  new  text  books  in  Arithmetic  may  be 
wanted. 


Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Geography, 

Intended  to  precede  his  large  work,  by  J.  Olney,  A.  M.  This 
work  has  eight  maps  from  steel  plates,  with  more  than  seventy  engra- 
vings, principally  from  original  designs ;  improved  edition.  Decidedly 
the  best  work  of  the  kind  in  use. 

Revised  Statutes. 

The  Constitution  and  laws  cf  Connecticut,  reduced  to  questions  and 
and  answers,  for  Schools.  By  William  B.  Wedgwood,  member  of  the 
Bar  in  New  York. 

This  book  is  highly  recommended  by  the  most  enlightened  friends 
of  Common  Schools,  and  is  adapted  to  Schools,  families,  and  individu- 
als. All  should  make  themselves  acquainted  with  this  work  that  they 
may  know  what  are  their  rights,  privileges  and  duties,  and  thus  be  pre- 
pared to  occupy  with  honor  their  proper  position  in  the  commonwealth. 

The  following  are  among  the  commendatory  notices  of  the  work. 

From  Hon.  Thoinas  S.  Williams,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut. 

Sir: — I  have  looked  over  the  work  you  put  into  my  hands,  entitled 
tc  Statutes  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and  additional  Laws  to  1814, 
reduced  to  questions  and  answers,  for  the  use  of  Schools  and  Families, 
by  William  B.  Wedgwood,  A.  M,"  and  from  a  cursory  examination, 
think  it  well  adapted  for  the  purposes  intended,  to  give  to  the  young 
the  leading  features  of  our  constitution,  and  those  statutes  which  have 
the  most  close  connection  with  the  ordinary  duties  and  transactions  of 
life. 

The  plan  of  the  author  did  not  admit,  nor  the  object  require,  an  ab- 
stract of  all  the  statutes — but  a  judicious  selection  only.  Much  valua- 
ble information  is  communicated  in  a  familiar  way,  which  would  not 
be  otherwise  acquired  without  more  research  than  is  to  be  expected 
from  the  young — for  whose  benefit  the  work  is  principally  designed — 
and  I  hope  you  will  find  that  your  labor  has  not  been  in  vain. 
I  am  respectfully  yours,  &c. 

Thomas  S.  Williams. 

Hartford,  March  29,  1844. 

From  Hon.  JYbah  A.  Phelps,  Secretary  of  State. 

Hartford,  February  21,  1844. 
Dear  Sir  : — Having  examined  the  book  recently  published  by  you, 
entitled  "  Statutes  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and  additional  Laws  to 
eighteen  hundred  and  forty-four,  reduced  to  questions  and  answers, 
for  the  use  of  Schools  and  Families  :"  and  deeming  the  work  worthy  of 
public  patronage,  I  cheerfully  recommend  it  to  the  use  of  the  Common 
Schools  and  Academies  in  this  State.  Noah  A.  Phelps, 

From  Francis  Fellowes,  Esq. 

Dear   Sir: — T  have  examined  the  work  entitled  "Statutes  of  the 

State  of  Connecticut,  reduced  to  questions  and  answers,'"  published  by 

you,  and  regard  the  same  as  affording  very  important  facilities  to  the 

youth  of  the  state  in  their  endeavors  to  become  acquainted  with  her 

1** 


constitution  and  laws.  I  observe  that  the  different  subjects  comprised 
in  the  constitution  and  statutes  are  conveniently  classified,  and  are 
accompanied  with  definitions,  and  pertinent  questions  and  illustrations. 

I  know  of  no  other  work  of  a  similar  kind  that,  has  ever  been  pub- 
lished in  this  state,  at  all  suited  to  the  purposes  of  a  text  book  on  the 
subjects  of  which  it  treats,  for  academies  and  schools,  or  which  either 
teachers  or  pupils  can  make  use  of  with  advantage,  and  I  recommend 
it  as  adapted  to  be  eminently  useful  to  those  who  would  become  ac- 
quainted with  those  topics  in  the  statute  law  of  the  state,  of  which  no 
citizen  should  remain  ignorant.  Yours,  very  respectfully, 

Francis  Fellowes. 

Hartford,  March  2,  1S44. 

From  Rev.  Silas  Totten,  D.  D.,  President  of  Washington  College. 
The  Statutes  of  Connecticut,  abridged  for  the  use  of  schools  and 
families,  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  citizen  of  the  state.  This 
little  book  presents  an  abstract  of  the  laws  of  the  state  in  such  a  form 
that  they  can  be  understood  by  all,  and  if  extensively  circulated  will 
do  much  to  prevent  unnecessary  litigation,  and  instruct  the  mass  of  the 
people  in  their  duties  as  citizens.  S.  Totten. 

From  Hon.  Romeo  Lowrey. 
Mr.  Gurdon  Robins, 

Dear  Sir : — I  have  examined  Mr.  Wedgwood's  "  Statutes  of  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  reduced  to  questions  and  answers  for  the  use  of 
schools  and  families."  I  have,  for  a  long  time,  felt  the  necessity  of  a 
work  of  this  kind,  and  have  repeatedly  suggested  the  importance  of  it, 
to  those  interested  in  our  common  schools.  This  work  seems  to  be 
well  calculated,  not  only  to  give  to  the  children  of  our  population  that 
knowledge  which  will  be  useful  for  them,  but  also  to  afford,  ina  cheap 
and  convenient  form,  important  information  to  those  in  more  advanced 
life.     I  hope  the  work  will  be  extensively  circulated. 

Yours  respectfully, 

R.  Lowrey. 
Southingt on,  March  28, 1844. 

From  the  Christian  Secretary. 

The  above  work  has  evidently  been  prepared  with  much  care  and 
labor,  and  in  point  of  style  and  execution,  and  adaptation  to  the  object 
for  which  it  is  intended,  will  not  suffer  in  comparison  with  any  book 
of  the  kind.  We  hesitate  not  to  say,  this  work  should  be  in  all  our 
Schools  and  Academies  and  Families  throughout  the  State,  and  be 
universally  read,  that  our  citizens,  and  especially  the  youth  of  our 
State,  may  learn  more  fully  to  understand  and  appreciate  their  rights 
and  duties  as  members  of  this  great  Republic. 

The  work  is  sustained  by  the  recommendations  of  competent  men 
in  the  legal  department,  to  whom  the  work  in  the  various  stages  of  its 
progress  has  been  submitted  for  examination  and  correction. 

From  the  Religious  Herald. 
It  is  a  work  which  ought  to  be  in  the  hand  of  every  citizen  of  Con- 
necticut, and  made  a  text  book  in  every  school. 

From  the  Christian  Freeman. 
This  is  an  admirable   book,  not  only  for  schools,  but  for  all  persons 
who  would  obtain  a  general  knowledge  of  our  laws,  and  have  not  time 


9 

to  read  more  voluminous  works.  A  synopsis  of  the  Constitution  and 
laws  is  given  in  simple  language,  avoiding  technical  terms,  and  an  in- 
dex to  the  whole  is  added,  greatly  increasing  its  value  as  a  book  of 
reference. 

From  the  Daily  C  our  ant. 
Statutes  of  Connecticut. — This  little  book  has  been  prepared 
more  especially  for  schools,  but  will  be  found  valuable  as  a  book  of 
reference  by  all  classes.  It  gives  a  synopsis  of  the  Constitution  and 
Laws  of  the  State,  free  from  verbiage  and  technicalities,  and  so 
arranged  that  by  the  aid  of  an  index,  any  subject  to  which  they  allude, 
can  be  turned  to  in  a  moment.  It  is  recommended  by  the  legal  pro- 
fession. 

From  the  Hartford  Journal. 
Mr.  Wedgwood  has  placed  the  State  of  Connecticut,  as  well  as  New 
York,  Massachusetts,  Maine,  and  New  Hampshire,  under  great  obliga- 
tions, by  simplifying  these  statutes  and  laws  to  the  comprehension  of 
all.  It  has  hitherto  been  a  matter  of  regret  that  in  our  system  of 
Common  School  Education,  no  opportunity  has  been  ofiered  of  in- 
forming the  scholar  relative  to  the  Constitution  and  Laws  of  the  State 
in  which  he  resides,  and  under  which  he  must,  at  some  time  or  other, 
be  called  to  act.  "  Universal  instruction  should  be  the  companion  of 
universal  suffrage,"  and  we  cannot  commend  the  above  little  work  too 
strongly  to  the  people  of  Connecticut.  We  hope  to  see  it  placed  in 
the  hands  of  every  school  boy  in  the  State,  and  we  trust  immediate 
steps  will  be  taken  to  introduce  it  in  our  common  schools. 

From  the  Patriot  and  Eagle. 
Statutes  of  Connecticut. — We  have  given  some  attention  to 
the  book  bearing  the  above  title,  containing  about  100  pages,  lately 
offered  to  the  public  for  the  use  of  schools,  which  should  be  in  the 
possession  of  every  family  in  the  State.  It  makes  the  youth  familiar 
with  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  and  Laws  of  the  State,  and 
teaches  all,  "  that  universal  instruction  should  be  the  companion  of 
universal  suffrage."  It  treats  of  the  Co#ititution,  declaration  of  rights 
distribution  of  powers,  legislative,  executive,  and  judiciary — electors, 
religion,  impeachment,  oaths,  duties  of  grand  jurors,  and  petit  jurors, 
crimes  punishable  by  death,  inquests,  &c.  We  deem  it  precisely  that 
kind  of  work  that  has  long  been  needed  in  our  schools.  The  book  is 
for  sale  by  the  publisher  in  this  city,  at  a  low  price  even  for  school 
books. 

From  the  Principal  of  the  Bacon  Jlcademy,  Colchester. 
Approving  as  I  do,  the  design  and  execution  of  the  work,  I  hope  that 
it  may  be  introduced  into  schools  and  academies  throughout  the  "state. 
It  seems  to  supply  an  obvious  defect  in  our  system  of  general  educa- 
tion. Whatever  other  valuable  instruction  is  imparted  under  this 
system,  very  little  is  given  that  aims  at  a  direct  preparation  for  the  du- 
ties of  the  citizen.  Intelligent  as  we  are,  the  great  majority  of  our 
electors  are  not  well  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  our  Constitu- 
tion, or  with  the  workings  of  the  machinery  of  government.  The  in- 
formation that  is  gained,  in  respect  to  these  things,  is  often  imperfect, 
and  the  result  of  accident  rather  than  any  thing  else.  The  man  re- 
mains in  ignorance,  or  after  years  of  darkness,  stumbles  upon  what 
should  have  been  one  of  the  lessons  of  his  boyhood. 

Lewis  R.  Hurlbut. 


10 
Youth's  Manual  of  the  Constitution  of  the  U.  States, 

Adapted  to  Classes  in  Schools,  and  general  use.  By  Francis 
Fellowes,  Esq. 

School  Testaments. 

Superior  edition.     12mo.,   sheep. 

New  Primer. 

By  George  H.  Foote  :  Presenting  a  great  improvement  in  the  mode 
of  teaching  the  child  the  first  rudiments  of  learning. 

Memoir  of  Rev.  A.  Nettleton,  D.  D., 

For  many  years  known  as  a  very  successful  laborer  among  the 
churches  throughout  the  country,  and  more  recently  as  Professor  of 
Pastoral  Theology  in  the  Theological  Institute  at  East  Windsor,  Conn. 
By  Rev.  Bennet  f  yler,  D.  D. 

The  first  edition  of  this  work  has  been  noticed  by  many  of  the  reli- 
gious journals  of  the  day,  and  almost  without  exception,  in  terms  of 
high  commendation.  The  following  are  selected  as  specimens ;  and 
they  will  serve  to  show  the  estimation  in  which  this  work  is  held  by 
the  Christian  public. 

From  the  Biblical  Repository  for  October,  1844. 
"  We  have  seized  this  book  just  issued  from  the  press,  with  great 
interest,  and  perused  it  with  uncommon  satisfaction.  We  are  sure  it 
will  be  read  by  thousands  who  have  been  savingly  profited  by  Dr.  Net- 
tleton's  labors,  and  by  thousands  who  have  heard  the  report  of  his 
labors,  and  his  success  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  The  book  will  be 
very  interesting  and  useful  to  ministers  and  churches  at  the  present 
day.  Dr.  Nettleton's  views  of  the  nature  of  religion,  and  the  means 
and  manner  of  promoting  it,  agree  with  those  of  Edwards,  Brainerd 
and  Dwight,  and  all  the  leading  divines  and  Christians  in  this  country. 
And  what  is  more,  they  agree  with  the  infallible  word  of  God.  This 
memoir  is  ably  written  by  a  tffecerning  and  faithful  friend  and  fellow 
laborer,  and  is  every  way  worthy  of  the  subject.  We  have  been  de- 
lighted with  the  whole  work,  particularly  with  the  closing  part." 

From  the  New  York  Observer  for   September  28,  1844. 

"  It  gives  us  great  satisfaction  to  announce  the  publication  of  this 
volume  of  nearly  400  pages,  containing  memoirs  of  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  preachers  of  the  gospel  with  whom  God  has  ever  blessed 
this  country. 

The  record  of  the  wonderful  revivals  which  occurred  under  Mr. 
Nettleton's  ministry,  and  the  numerous  instances  of  conversion  in  im- 
mediate connection  with  his  labors,  furnish  most  interesting  reminis- 
cences ;  and  the  wide  circulation  of  the  volume  among  our  churches, 
will  be  greatly  useful." 

From  the  New  York  Evangelist  for  October  10, 1844. 
"  Mr.  Nettleton  was  an  extraordinary  man,  and  served  a  glorious 
purpose  in  his  day  and  generation.  Few  men,  since  the  apostolic 
days,  have  been  honored  with  such  signal  success  in  preaching  the 
word,  and  in  the  conversion  of  sinners  as  he  ;  and  to  his  spirit  and 
preaching  more  than  any  other  human  instrumentality,  is  that  career 


11 

of  revivals  which  constitutes  such  a  marked  characteristic  of  the 
church  at  the  present  day,  and  the  true  glory  of  the  age,  to  be  traced. 
If  others  read  it  with  as  much  interest  as  we  have,  they  will  pronounce 
it,  as  it  is,  one  of  the  best  and  most  useful  of  that  class  of  works — 
Christian  biography." 

From  the  New  England  Puritan  for  September  20,  1844. 

"  We  have  known  for  some  time  that  Dr.  Tyler  was  engaged  in 
preparing  a  memoir  of  this  man  of  God,  and  we  were  expecting  to  find 
it  a  deeply  interesting  volume  ;  but  it  is  even  more  interesting  than 
we  anticipated.  We  predict  for  it  a  wide  circulation,  and  a  great 
amount  of  good  in  its  influence.  Dr.  Nettleton's  influence  and  labors 
for  Christ,  have  not  ceased  with  his  death.  Though  dead,  he  yet 
speaketh  by  his  example;  and  his  record,  though  on  high,  will  long 
be  precious  on  earth. 

Few  men  have  ever  lived  in  this  country,  who  have  made  a  deeper 
impression  on  their  generation  than  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  And 
this  impression  was  of  the  purest  and  most  elevated  character.  Unlike 
that  of  heroes  and  statesmen,  it  was  not,  for  the  most  part,  circumscri- 
bed by  time,  and  confined  to  earth,  but  it  is  to  roll  on  through  eterni- 
ty, and  dispense  its  richest  blessings  in  heaven. 

We  are  glad  that  the  execution  of  the  work  fell  into  the  hands  of  one 
so  competent  as  Dr.  Tyler.  No  other  living  man,  probably,  was  so 
competent.  If  the  biographer  had  allowed  himself  more  time,  he 
might  have  made  the  work  more  perfect,  though  we  observed  no 
special  evidence  of  hasty  preparation.  We  would  commend  the 
volume  as  worthy  of  a  careful  perusal." 

From  the  New  England  Puritan  for  October  18,  1844. 

"  After  a  perusal  of  this  book  more  at  our  leisure,  we  are  more  con- 
vinced of  the  high  utility  of  the  work.  We  feel  that  it  is  highly  de- 
sirable that  it  should  be  extensively  read,  just  at  this  time,  in  the 
general  and  lamentable  absence  of  revivals  in  our  churches.  The 
book  consists  very  much  of  descriptions  of  revival  scenes,  and  these 
can  hardly  be  read  by  those  who  desire  the  renewal  of  such  blessed 
scenes,  without  giving  new  strength  to  that  desire,  and  adding  new 
fervency  to  prayer  for  a  revival.  And  if  that  book  could  now  have  an 
extensive  reading  in  all  our  churches,  it  might  be,  of  itself,  a  means 
of  a  general  revival.  And  if  there  is  matter  in  the  life  of  Harlan  Page 
to  produce  such  quickening  of  the  efforts  of  other  Christians,  there  is 
much  more  in  the  life  of  Nettleton,  who  was  still  more  wise  to  win 
souls,  and  honored  with  still  more  success." 

From  the  Christian  Observer  for  November  22,  1844. 

"  This  is  a  faithful  record  of  the  life,  labors,  and  character  of  a  min- 
ister of  Christ,  whose  moral  worth  and  eminent  usefulness  for  many 
years  of  his  ministry,  are  well  known  to  the  church.  In  preparing  it 
for  the  press,  Dr.  Tyler  has  rendered  a  valuable  service  to  the  cause  of 
truth  and  holiness." 

From  the  Presbyterian  for  November  30,  1844. 

"  Although  this  volume  has  reached  us  at  rather  a  late  date,  we  hail 
it  as  a  happy  delineation  of  the  life  and  labors  of  a  man  whom  we 
highly  esteemed,  and  with  whom  we  had  much  pleasant  intercourse. 
Dr.  Nettleton  was  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word,  a  great  man. 
During  the  vigor  of  his  life,  he  abounded  in  labors  of  love,  and  works 
of  faith,  and  was  perhaps  more  favored  than  any  man  of  his  age,  in 


12 

bringing  souls  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  In  the  numerous  revivals 
which  occurred  under  his  ministry,  he  displayed  great  wariness  and 
judgment,  in  repressing  mere  animal  excitement,  and  time  has  proved 
that  they  w<  re  the  genuine  works  of  the  Spirit. 

We  hope  this  memoir  may  yet  speak  when  its  subject  is  dead,  and 
prove  the  means  of  recalling  those  times,  when  the  word  of  the  Lord 
was  mighty  in  pulling  down  the  strong  holds  of  sin." 

From  the  Christian  Reflector,  Boston,  October  17,  1844. 

Memoir  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  Rev.  Asahel  Net- 
tleton-, D.  D.  By  Bennett  Tyler,  D.  D.  Hartford :  Robins  and 
Smith.     1S44. 

Seldom  have  the  American  people  been  favored  with  a  religious 
biography  more  edifying  and  instructive  than  this  of  Nettleton. 
Among  the  Congregational  churches  of  New  England,  especially  of 
Connecticut,  he  was  for  many  years  an  apostle ;  for  earnest,  active 
pietv,  for  self-denying  toil,  lor  a  wise  direction  of  effort,  and  for  per- 
sonal efficiency,  he  was  more  like  Whitefield  and  like  Paul,  than  any 
American  preacher  of  his  times.  This  memoir  of  his  life  was  prepared 
by  one  who  was  intimate  with  him  during  the  latter  part  of  his  history, 
and  who  was  abundantly  qualified  for  a  work  which  he  has  accom- 
plished most  satisfactorily.  Were  all  evangelists  like  the  pious  Net- 
tleton, there  could  certainly  be  no  reasonable  objection  to  their  opera- 
tions among  our  churches.  The  revivals  which  were  enjoyed  under 
his  labors 'were  remarkable  for  the  sobriety  and  soleminity  which  pre- 
vailed ;  for  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit's  power  with  which  they 
were  attended,  and  for  the  genuineness  of  the  conversions  which  oc- 
curred. We  think  the  reading  of  this  book  would  be  of  great  advan- 
tage to  our  pastors  and  church  members,  in  this  time  of  general  de- 
clension. It  is  suggestive  and  encouraging.  We  are  happy  to  learn 
that  the  demand  for  it  is  very  great.     372  pages,  12mo. 

From  the  Watchman  of  the  South,  October  12,  1S44. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  works  ever  issued  from  the  Ameri- 
can press.  Three  thousand  copies  of  it  were  sold  by  the  publishers  in 
three  months.  It  will  doubtless  find  a  ready  sale  in  the  South,  where 
Dr.  Nettleton  had  many  friends  and  admirers.  Dr.  Nettleton  excelled 
in  almost  every  thing,  that  could  make  him  attractive  to  the  pious. 
His  Memoir  is  all,  that  a  book  of  the  same  size  could  well  be. 

From  the  Religious  Herald,   Virginia. 
Memoir  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton,  D.  D. 
By  Bennet  Tyler,  D.  D. 

"We  are  indebted  to  the  politeness  of  the  publishers,  Messrs.  Robins 
and  Smith,  of  Hartford,  Conn,  for  this  publication.  Dr.  Nettleton  was 
an  eminent  Congregationalist  minister.  He  labored  extensively  as  an 
evangelist,  and  more  successfully  than  perhaps  any  other  minister  of 
the  present  age.  Extensive  revivals  took  place  under  his  ministry,  in 
which  thousands  were  converted  and  added  to  the  church.  Of  his 
spiritual  children,  many  are  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  He  owed  his  suc- 
cess not  toany  novel  measures, but  to  his  ardentzeal,and  his  faithful  and 
practical  preaching,  and  his  happy  method  of  presenting  divine  truth, so 
as  to  arrest  the  attention,  and  gain  access  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  his  hearers.  He  did  not  aim  merely  to  excite  the  feelings,  but  by 
appealing  to  the  judgment  and  understanding  of  his  hearers,  sought  to 


13 

win  them  to  the  love  and  obedience  of  the  truth.  The  Memoir  of 
such  a  man  could  not  fail  to  be  interesting  ;  and  from  his  knowledge 
and  intimacy  with  Dr.  Nettleton,  his  biographer  was  well  qualified  for 
his  task,  and  has  produced  an  interesting  work,  which  may  be  read 
with  profit  by  every  friend  of  vital  godliness. 

From  the  Christian  Observer. 
This  is  a  faithful  record  of  the  life,  labors,  and  character  of  a  minis- 
ter of  Christ,  whose  moral  worth  and  eminent  usefulness  for  many 
years  of  his  ministry,  are  well  known  to  the  Church.  In  preparing  it 
for  the  press  Dr.  Tyler  has  rendered  a  valuable  service  to  the  cause 
of  truth  and  holiness. 

Memoir  of  Rev.  William  Carey,  D.  D. 

By  Rev.  Eustace  Carey  ;  accompanied  by  an  Introductory  Essay,  by 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  D.  D.,  late  President  of  Waterville  College, 
Maine  ;  with  a  Portrait,  from  steel.     12mo.  full  cloth. 

This  is  the  only  stereotyped  edition  of  this  valuable  work,  and  should 
be  in  every  family. 

Memoir  of  Rev.  Gustavus  F.  Davis,  D.  D, 

Late  Pastor  of  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  with  six 
select  Sermons  on  the  distinguishing  sentiments  of  the  Baptist  denom- 
ination. l'2mo.  full  cloth.  These  Sermons  are  valuable  to  those  who 
are  desirous  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  sentiments  of  the  Bap- 
tists. 

Memoir  of  Rev.  James  H.  Linsley,  A.  M, 

18mo.    full  cloth.     A  new  and  very  valuable  work. 

Synopsis  of  Christian  Missions, 

Being  a  succinct  account  of  the  origin,  progress  and  present  state  of 
the  Protestant  Foreign  Missions  of  modern  times — an  important  auxil- 
iary to  those  who  are  called  upon  to  preach  or  speak  upon  the  subject 
of  missions,  as  they  will  find  the  statistics  prepared  to  their  hand,  and 
also  a  valuable  source  of.  information  to  Christians  of  the  different 
evangelical  denominations. 

From  the  Watchman  of  the  South. 
The  Synopsis  of  Missions,  being  a  succinct  account  of  the  origin, 
progress  and  present  state  of  the  Protestant  Foreign  Missions  of 
modern  times — an  important  auxiliary  to  those  who  are  called  upon 
to  preach  or  speak  upon  the  subject  of  Missions,  as  they  will  find 
the  statistics  prepared  to  their  hand,  and  also  a  valuable  source  of  in- 
formation to  Christians  of  the  different  evangelical  denominations. 

From  the  Religioas  Herald,  Virginia. 

Brief  History  of  Evangelical  Missions,  with  the  date  of  commence- 
ment, and  progress  and  present  state.     By  Andrew  M.  Smith. 

This  is  a  duodecimo  volume  of  194  pages,  for  which  we  are  indebted 
to  the  politeness  of  the  publishers,  Messrs.  Robins  and  Smith,  of  Hart- 
ford, Conn. 


14 

The  editor  in  his  preface  observes  :  "  It  has  been  suggested  that  a 
brief  survey  of  the  various  Protestant  missions,  embodying  their  essen- 
tial features  within  a  small  compass,  might  be  serviceable  both  to  those 
of  limited  means,  those  who  have  but  little  time  for  reading,  and 
those  who  wish  frequently  to  refer  to  the  statistics  of  the  different 
missions,  without  the  time  and  labor  of  gleaning  them  from  the  more 
voluminous  histories." 

Such  a  compilation  was  needed.  The  elaborate  work  of  Smith  and 
Choules,  is  too  voluminous  and  expensive  for  general  use.  Frequent 
inquiries  have  been  made  for  such  a  work  ;  giving  a  brief,  but  correct 
sketch  of  the  missionaries  of  the  various  religious  denominations 
throughout  the  world.  In  this  work  the  history  of  the  different  mis- 
sionaries is  brought  down  to  the  close  of  the  year  1SJ3.  Within  a 
comparatively  brief  space,  the  reader  can  see  what  efTorts  have  been 
made,  and  are  now  making  to  give  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  world. 
As  far  as  we  have  had  the  opportunity  to  test  the  work,  it  appears  to 
be  executed  with  faithfulness  and  impartiality  ;  and  we  deem  it  a  very 
useful  compilation. 

From  the  Christian  Observer. 
This  volume  presents  before  the  reader  a  brief  and  general  survey 
of  the  principal  evangelical  missions  of  the  last  century,  with  the  date 
of  their  commencement,  their  progress,  results,  and  present  condition 
and  prospects.  It  will  be  highly  acceptable  to  those  who  have  not  the 
means  to  purchase,  or  leisure  to  read  more  voluminous  works — and  it 
is  also  a  convenient  book  of  reference  for  statistical  and  general  in- 
formation on  the  subject.  Its  circulation,  we  think,  cannot  fail  to 
awaken  and  promote  an  effective  interest  in  the  cause  of  missions. 

From  the  Christian  Reflector. 

Brief  History  of  Evangelical.  Missions,  with  date  of  com- 
mencement, progress,  and  present  state.  Ey  Andrew  M.  Smith. 
Hartford:  Robins  and  Smith.    IS!  I. 

We  have  here,  in  a  succinct  and  comprehensive  form,  and  in  a  duo- 
decimo of  less  than  200  pages,  an  account  of  every  Protestant  mission, 
embracing  not  merely  the  statistics,  but  the  most  prominent  and  inter- 
esting facts.  In  this  way,  every  private  Christian,  who  reads  any  of 
our  missionary  monthlies,  may  have  at  his  hand  a  book  of  reference, 
which  will  acquaint  him  with  the  principal  circumstances  of  every 
field  now  occupied,  and  assist  him  greatly  in  understanding  what  he 
reads.  It  is,  moreover,  an  interesting  work  for  separate  perusal.  We 
rejoice  in  this  new  instrumentality  for  the  diffusion  of  missionary  in- 
telligence among  the  people.  Pastors  will  easily  find,  in  this  book, 
the  general  facts  to  which  they  may  wish  to  refer  in  preparing  a  ser- 
mon or  address  on  missions.  We  hope  the  book  will  have  an  extensive 
sale. 

From  the  Baptist  Advocate. 

Brief  History  of  Evangelical  Missions,  with  the  date  of  com- 
mencement and  the  progress  and  present  state.  By  Andrew  M.  Smith. 
Hartford:  Published  by  "Robins  and  Smith.    IS  l  |.' 

A  book  of  about  200  pages,  arranged  in  short  chapters  or  sections 
with  an  index  referring  to  each  by  the  name  of  the  mission,  or  the 
society  described.  Nothing  could  be  belter  devised  for  easy  reference. 
At  the  close  of  the  whole,  is  a  general  summary,  presenting  at  one 
view  the  names  of  the  various  societies,  and  the  most  important  par- 
ticulars of  their  operations. 


15 

We  consider  the  book  one  of  the  most  serviceable  lately  published, 
and  cordially  recommend  it  to  Sunday  schools,  pastors,  and  families. 

From  the  Boston  Recorder. 

Brief  History  of  Evangltcal  Missions,  with  the  date  of  com- 
mencement and  progress  and  present  state.  By  Andrew  M.  Smith. 
Hartford:  Robins  and  Smith.  For  sale  in  Boston,  by  Crocker  & 
Brewster,  Gould,  Kendall Sl  Lincoln,  C.  C.  Dean,  and  H.  S.  Washburn. 

This  book,  in  the  space  of  193  pages,  presents  a  valuable  synopsis  of 
missions,  and  will  be  found  of  verj  great  use  to  the  minister,  the 
Sunday  school  teacher,  and  others,  as  a  book  of  reference.  It  contains 
much  valuable  information,  not  to  be  found  entire  in  any  other  publi- 
cation. 

From  the  JVew  York  Tribune. 
History  of  Missions. — We  have  received  from  the  publishers  a 
"  Brief  History  of  Evangelical  Missions,  with  the  date  of  commence- 
ment and  progress  and  present  state.  By  Andrew  M.  Smith."  It  is  a 
full  and  copious  source  of  information  on  the  subject  of  Missions,  and 
is  calculated  to  be  of  the  greatest  service  to  ministers  and  others  in- 
terested. It  is  handsomely  printed,  and  will  no  doubt  command  a 
large  sale. 

Select  Hymns. 

Edited  by  Rev.  G.  F.  Davis,  D.  D.  and  Rev.  James  H.  Linsley,  A.  M. 
Stereotyped  edition.   3-2mo.    sheep. 

This  work  stands  unrivaled  in  regard  to  adaptation  to  the  wants  of 
the  Christian  public,  and  in  regard  to  arrangement  of  the  parts,  which 
are  in  the  following  order,  and  adapted  to  social  meetings,  Sabbath 
schools  and  families. 

1.  The  Perfections  of  God.  13.  Worship. 

2.  Universal  Peace.  14.  Family  Worship. 

3.  The  Scriptures.  15.  Revival  Hymns. 

4.  Christ.  16.  Missionary  Concert. 

5.  The  Holy  Spirit.  .17.   Sabbath  Schools. 

6.  Sinners  Warned.  18.  New  and  Old  Year. 

7.  Sinners  Awakened.  19.  Tract  Meetings. 

8.  Sinners  Invited.  20.  Temperance  Meetings. 

9.  Sinners  Converted.  21.  Occasional  Meetings. 

10.  Profession  and  Baptism.  22.  Death  and  Judgment. 

11.  Doctrine.  23.  Doxologies. 

12.  Christian  Character  and  Graces. 

Inaddition  to  this  syllabus  of  arrangement,  and  a  table  of  first  lines, 
there  is  a  copious  index  of  Scriptures,  on  which  the  Hymns  are 
founded. 

This  work  of  416  pages,  with  551  Hymns,  is  bou\d  in  good  substan- 
tial sheep  binding,  and  sold  at  the  very  low  price  of  thirty-four  cents, 
with  a  reasonable  discount  to  those  who  buy  in  quantities.  Numerous 
testimonials  might  be  inserted,  setting  forth  the  value  of  the  work,  but 
the  friends  of  devotion  should  examine  for  themselves.  The  design 
of  those  excellent  men  who  edited  this  work,  was  not  to  make  an 
ephemeral  affair,  but  a  permanent  work  for  the  Church.  Some  thou- 
sands have  been  sold,  but  still  if  the  work  was  more  generally  used  by 
our  churches,  it  is  thought  the  cause  of  piety  would  thereby  be  pro- 
moted. 


16 

Vision  of  Death  and  other  Poems, 

By  Rev.  Charles  W.  Everest.  32mo.    cloth.  Beautifully  embellished. 

Youth's  Own  Book: 

Character  Essential  to  Success  in  Life.  By  Rev.  Isaac 
Taylor,  Ongar,  England,  author  of  Advice  to  the  Teens  ;  Natural  His- 
tory of  Enthusiasm,  &c. 

Domestic  Education. 

Hints  on  the  Education  of  Children  while  under  the  care  of  Parents 
and  Guardians.  By  John  Hall,  Principal  of  EUingtm  High  School, 
Conn.     Second  edition. 

Charlotte   Hamilton. 

By  Rev.  A.  Edson.  An  excellent  work  for  Sunday  School  Libraries, 
full  cloth.     ISmo. 

Tfly  Early  Days. 
By  Ferguson,  the  Astronomer.    For  Sabbath  Schools.     ISmo.  cloth. 

Causes  of  Religious  Declension, 

Among  different  Denominations  of  Christians.  By  Jeremiah  Chap- 
lin, D.  D.     ISmo.  cloth. 

Mansfield  Domestic  Silk  Grower's  Manual. 

Mechanics'  Pocket  Almanac  and  Calculator. 

Merchant's       do.  do.  do. 

Ladies'  do.  do.  do. 

The  above  valuable  little  works  contain  accurate  interest  and  other 
tables,  in  addition  to  the  Almanac. 

Common  Prayer. 

32mo.     Light  sheep;  rolled  edges  ;  spring  backs. 

do.        Red,  stamped  sides. 

do.        Roan,  gilt  backs. 

do.        Morocco,  Tucks,  gilt  edges. 

do.        Turkey  morocco,  gilt  extra. 
A  plain  and  beautiful  edition. 

School  Rewards, 

From  Wood  Cuts — twenty-five  on  a  sheet. 
School  Rewards.    Colored. 

do.  From  Copper — six  on  a  sheet. 

Robins  &  Smith  keep  constantly  for  sale,  an  extensive  assortment 
of  School,  Theological  and  Miscellaneous  Books,  which  they  will  sell, 
wholesale  and  retail,  on  the  most  accommodating  terms. 


^xiwniSBfc 


MEMOIR     V> 


VOCT  6  1931  ^ 


£ 


LIFE    AND    CHARACTER 


REV.  ASAHEL  NETTLETON,  D.  D 


BY  BENNET  TYLER,  D.  D, 

President  aiul  Professor  of  Christian  Theology  in  the  Theological  Institute  of  Connecticut* 


SECOND    EDITION. 


HARTFORD 


PUBLISHED  BY  ROBINS  AND  SMITH. 

1845. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844,  by 

ROBINS     AND     SMITH, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Connecticut. 


STEREOTYPED    BY 

RICHARD   H.    HOBBS, 

Hartfor'.,  Conn. 


PRINTED   BY 
CASE,  TIFFANY  AND  BURNHAM. 
Hartford,  Conn. 


PREFACE 


It  has  been  well  said,  that  "  mere  human  greatness  is  an  unenvi- 
able distinction.  But  the  man,  with  whose  greatness  is  combined 
moral  excellence  to  direct  and  adorn  it,  is  allied  to  Jesus  Christ. 
God  has  from  time  to  time,  given  to  his  church,  men,  not  only  of 
extraordinary  intellectual  powers,  but  with  minds  so  pre-eminently 
sanctified,  as  to  render  them  suitable  agents  for  the  accomplishment 
of  his  purposes  on  earth."  That  some  account  of  the  lives  of  such 
men  should  be  preserved,  and  handed  down  to  posterity,  few  will 
deny.  This  should  be  done,  not  for  the  purpose  of  glorifying  men, 
who,  however  useful  they  may  have  been,  are  only  instruments  by 
which  God  accomplishes  his  purposes;  but  to  magnify  the  grace  of 
God,  and  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  The 
influence  of  example  in  forming  the  human  character,  is  confessedly 
great.  Hence  the  utility  of  contemplating  the  examples  of  the  wise 
and  good.  "  If"  as  one  observes,  "  religion  appears  lovely  when 
portrayed  merely  in  the  simplicity  and  amiableness  of  her  principles, 
how  much  more  lovely  when  exhibited  in  the  purity  and  benevolence 
of  her  conduct.  When  we  see  something  more  than  right  views  and 
dispositions  ;  when  Ave  behold  not  the  portrait,  but  the  living  features 
of  her  excellence,  her  image  sinks  deep  into  the  soul." 

Much  of  the  instruction  of  the  sacred  scriptures,  is  communicated 
under  the  form  of  example.  Besides  the  perfect  pattern  set  by- 
Christ  for  our  imitation,  we  are  pointed  to  the  example  of  the  an- 
cient saints,  "  who  through  faith  and  patience  inherited  the  prom- 
ises." We  are  reminded  of  the  trials  through  which  they  were  called 
to  pass — of  the  temptations  by  which  they  were  assailed — of  the 
persecutions  which  they  endured.     We  see  them  making  their  way 


IV  PREFACE. 

to  heaven  "through  much  tribulation,"  and  at  length  coming  off 
"  conquerors  and  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  had  loved 
them."  That  the  contemplation  of  these  examples  is  suited  to  stim- 
ulate and  encourage  believers  in  the  christian  race,  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  Why,  then,  should  not  the  biography  of  good  men  of  a  later 
period  have  a  similar  effect  ?  Who  can  doubt,  that  the  perusal  of 
the  memoirs  of  Doddridge,  of  Edwards,  of  Brainerd,  of  Martyn,  of 
Hallock,  of  Payson,  and  of  others,  has  been  the  means  of  quicken- 
ing, and  encouraging  thousands  of  the  people  of  God,  and  of  pro- 
moting the  work  of  sanctiflcation  in  their  hearts? 

Among  those  who  were  at  all  acquainted  with  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  or  who  have  heard  of  the  extensive  good  of  which  he  was 
made  the  instrument,  there  will  be  but  one  opinion  as  to  the  import- 
ance of  preserving  some  memorial  of  his  life  and  character.  He 
was  no  ordinary  man  :  nor  was  he  raised  up  for  an  ordinary  purpose. 
Very  few  men  have  ever  lived,  who  have  been  the  honored  instru- 
ments of  turning  so  many  souls  "from  darkness  to  light  and  from 
the  power  of  satan  unto  God."  Thousands  have  acknowledged  him 
as  their  spiritual  father,  who  it  is  believed,  will  be  his  joy  and  crown 
in  the  day  of  the  Lord.  Of  these,  many  were  called  before  him  to 
their  heavenly  rest,  and  have  doubtless  welcomed  him  to  their  bliss- 
ful society.  A  great  number  still  remain,  to  pray  and  labor  for  Zion. 
Of  his  spiritual  children,  many  are  ministers  of  the  gospel ;  each 
one  of  whom  is  ready  to  exclaim  in  the  language  of  Elisha,  when 
witnessing  the  ascension  of  Elijah,  "  My  father,  my  father,  the 
chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof."  And  many  ministers 
who  were  not  his  spiritual  children,  received  an  impulse  from  his 
preaching  and  example,  either  before  or  after  they  entered  the  minis- 
try, which  had  a  most  salutary  influence  upon  their  character.  The 
following  statement  of  one  who  occupies  a  post  of  great  responsibil- 
ity in  the  church,  I  have  no  doubt,  expresses  the  views  and  feelings 
of  many  others.  "  In  my  preparation  for  college,  and  in  my  first 
year  in  college,  I  had  the  happiness  to  hear  him  preach  in  two  very 
powerful  revivals ;  and  I  shall  ever  regard  the  influence  which  his 
preaching  and  his  personal  intercourse  with  me,  exerted  upon  my 
character  and  views  of  ministerial  duty,  as  of  inestimable  value." 

The  days  in  which  he  had  health  and  strength  to  engage  in  ardu- 
ous labor,  were  emphatically  days  of  the  right  hand  of  the  Most 
High.  They  will  long  be  remembered  on  earth,  and  never  be  for- 
gotten in  heaven. 


PREFACE.  V 

A  letter  written  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Beecher  in  1827,  contains  the 
following  testimony. 

"  Mr.  Nettleton  has  served  God  and  his  generation  with  more  self- 
denial,  and  constancy,  and  wisdom,  and  success,  than  any  man  living. 
I  witnessed  his  commencement,  and  knew  his  progress,  and  the  rel- 
ative state  of  things  in  Connecticut,  especially  ;  and  what  (but  for  his 
influence  in  promoting  revivals,  and  exciting  and  teaching  by  example 
others  to  promote  them,)  might  have  been  the  condition  of  the 
churches  in  those  days  of  revolution  through  which  they  have  pass- 
ed. Considering  the  extent  of  his  influence,  I  regard  him  as  beyond 
comparison,  the  greatest  benefactor  which  God  has  given  to  this 
nation ;  and  through  his  influence  in  promoting  pure  and  powerful 
revivals  of  religion,  as  destined  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  benefactors 
of  the  world,  and  among  the  most  efficient  instruments  of  introduc- 
ing the  glory  of  the  latter  day.''  This  was  the  testimony  of  one  who 
had  known  the  history  of  his  labors  for  fifteen  years,  and  who  had 
witnessed  their  great  and  salutary  influence. 

"  His  holy  zeal,"  says  another  minister,  in  a  letter  written  soon 
after  his  death,  "  his  tenderness  and  love,  his  prudence  and  judgment, 
and  his  admirable  skill  in  presenting  divine  truth,  and  dealing  with 
souls,  made  him  at  once,  one  of  the  most  inspiring,  and  one  of  the 
safest  examples  to  be  presented  before  christians,  and  especially  be- 
fore ministers." 

Another  minister,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  says,  "  I  am  gratified  to 
learn,  that  you  intend  to  publish  as  soon  as  practicable  a  biographi- 
cal sketch  of  our  much  esteemed  and  beloved  friend,  the  late  Dr. 
Nettleton.  This  I  regard  as  due  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased,  to 
his  numerous  friends  in  different  parts  of  the  land,  and  to  the  cause 
of  truth  and  vital  godliness,  which  he  advocated  so  ably  and  success- 
fully, through  the  different  periods  of  his  ministry.  It  would  be  mat- 
ter of  unfeigned  regret,  if  the  wisdom,  zeal,  stability,  spirit  of  kind- 
ness, and  unconquerable  perseverance  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  which 
were  such  prominent  characteristics  of  that  man,  should  not  be  per- 
mitted to  benefit  others  after  he  is  silent  in  the  grave. 

"That  he  uniformly  regarded  himself  as  an  accountable  steward 
of  God,  and  studied  to  show  himself  approved — that  he  was  a  de- 
voted servant  of  the  church,  in  laboring  for  its  enlargement  and 
growth  in  grace — that  he  wielded  the  sword  of  the  spirit  most  dex- 
terously for  the  conversion  of  men  to  God — that  he  was  a  vigilant 
and  judicious  guide  and  counsellor  — that  he  strove  to  build  up  those 
who  were  spiritually  begotten  by  him  in  the  most  holy  faith — and 
1* 


VI  PREFACE. 

that  he  was  a  timely  and  efficient  helper  of  his  ministerial  brethren, 
are  facts  too  obvious  to  need  proof,  to  those  who  have  been  convers- 
ant with  him  for  the  last  twenty-five  years." 

Dr.  Nettleton  kept  no  journal  of  his  religious  exercises  ;  nor  until 
1818  did  he  keep  any  journal  of  his  labors.  In  the  spring  of  that 
year,  while  laboring  in  Rocky  Hill,  he  began  to  keep  a  memoran- 
dum, in  which  he  noted  down  the  times  and  places  of  preaching,  and 
the  texts  from  which  he  preached,  together  with  occasional  brief 
remarks.  Many  of  the  facts  recorded  in  this  memoir,  were  obtained 
from  him  in  personal  interviews,  and  committed  to  writing  at  the 
time.  The  reader  may  be  assured,  that  nothing  is  stated  as  fact,  of 
which  the  writer  has  not  either  personal  knowledge,  or  the  most  sat- 
isfactory evidence. 

Should  the  imperfect  sketch  which  is  here  given  of  the  life  and 
character  of  this  distinguished  servant  of  God,  be  the  means  of  in- 
citing others  to  imitate  his  example,  so  far  as  he  followed  Christ,  the 
labor  of  preparing  it  will  be  abundantly  compensated. 

East  Windsor,  Aug.  1st,  1844. 


PREFACE 
TO    THE    SECOND    EDITION. 


In  presenting  a  new  edition  of  this  work  to  the  public,  the  author 
feels  constrained  to  say,  that  he  is  no  less  surprised  than  gratified, 
by  the  unexpected  favor  with  which  the  first  edition  was  received. 
He  hopes  the  present  edition  will  be  thought  not  less  worthy  of  public 
favor.  It  has  been  carefully  revised  and  corrected.  Some  altera- 
tions have  been  made :  and  although  the  number  of  pages  has  not 
been  increased,  considerable  additional  matter  has  been  inserted. 
The  page  has  been  somewhat  enlarged,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
book,  it  is  believed,  not  a  little  improved. 

The  author  would  express  his  obligations  to  those  friends  who  have 
favored  him  with  their  remarks  on  the  first  edition,  (at  whose  sug- 
gestions some  alterations  have  been  made,)  and  especially  to  those 
who  have  furnished  additional  facts,  with  which  to  enrich  the  present 
edition. 

That  all  who  shall  read  these  pages  may  possess,  in  a  high  degree, 
that  religion  which  rendered  the  subject  of  this  memoir  so  eminently 
useful  while  he  lived,  and  which  sustained  him  in  the  hour  of  death, 
is  the  prayer  of  the 

Biographer. 

East  Windsor,  Jan.  1st,  1845. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER     I. 

PAGE. 

His  birth.    Childhood  and  youth.    Conversion 11 


CHAPTER     II. 

His  desire  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  to  become  a  missionary  to  the  heathen. 
Difficulties  in  the  way  of  obtaining  an  education,  The  manner  in  which 
he  overcame  them.  College  life.  Acquaintance  with  Samuel  J.  Mills. 
Appointment  as  Butler  in  College.  Theological  education  at  Milford 
under  the  instruction  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pinneo.  License  to  preach  the 
Gospel.     The  reason  why  he  did  not  become  a  Missionary.         .         .  25 

CHAPTER     III. 

His  labors  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut,  where  he  obtains  a  knowledge 
of  the  measures  which  were  adopted  by  Davenport  and  others,  in  the  great, 
revival  of  1740,  and  of  their  results  in  producing  a  moral  desolation.  His 
acquaintance  with  certain  evangelists.  His  opinion  of  the  expediency 
of  employing  evangelists  as  assistants  of  settled  pastors.      ...         45 

CHAPTER     IV. 

His  labors  in  Derby,  South  Britain,  South  Salem,  Danbury,  Monroe,  North 
Lyme,  Hadlyme,  Bloomfield,  Milton,  South  Farms,  Chester,  East  Granby, 
Bolton,  Manchester,  and  West  Granby 55 

CHAPTER     V  . 

His  labors  in  New  Haven,  Salisbury.  Bridgewater,  Torrington,  Waterbury, 
Upper  Middletown,  Rocky  Hill,  Ashford,  Eastford,  Bolton.  .        .        71 

CHAPTER     VI. 
His  labors  in  Saratoga  county,  and  Nassau.  94 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER     VII. 

PAGE. 
His  labors  in  New  Haven,  North  Killingworth,  North  Madison,  Wethers- 
field,  Newington,  and  Farmington 112 

CHAPTER     VIII. 

His  labors  in  Pittsfield,  Lenox,  Lee,  Litchfield,  New  Haven,  Somers, 
Tolland,  and  South  Wilbraham 131 

CHAPTER     IX. 

Sickness  at  Bolton.  Compilation  of  Hymn  Book.  Labors  in  Bethlem, 
Brooklyn,  Taunton,  Jamaica,  Albany,  Durham,  Lexington,  Virginia, 
Monson,  North  Carolina,  Newark,  New  York.  Voyage  to  England. 
Labors  in  Enfield.  Formation  of  the  Pastoral  Union.  Establishment  of 
the  "Theological  Institute  of  Connecticut.  Appointment  as  Professor. 
The  degree  of  D.  D.  conferred  upon  him 148 

CHAPTER     X. 
His  method  of  laboring  in  revivals  of  religion. 198 

CHAPTER     XI. 
Character  of  the  Revivals  under  his  preaching 226 

CHAPTER     XII. 
His  opposition  to  New  Measures. 236 

CHAPTER     XIII. 
His  Doctrinal  Views,  and  interest  in  the  recent  Theological  Controversy.     273 

CHAPTER     XIV. 
His  last  Sickness  and  Death. 302 

CHAPTER     XV. 
His  General  Character. 313 


CHAPTER    I 


His  birth.— Childhood  and  Youth.— Conversion. 

It  is  a  striking  fact,  that  a  large  proportion  of  those  whom 
God  has  raised  up  to  be  distinguished  instruments  of  promo- 
ting the  interests  of  his  church,  have  sprung  from  a  humble 
origin.  "  The  Reformer  Zwingle,  emerged  from  a  shepherd's 
hut  among  the  Alps  ;  Melancthon,  the  great  theologian  of  the 
Reformation,  from  an  armorer's  work  shop  ;  and  Luther  from 
the  cottage  of  a  poor  miner."  It  has  been  so  in  every  age. 
Moses,  Samuel,  David,  and  the  Apostles  of  our  Lord,  were 
from  the  humble  walks  of  life.  And  why  should  it  not  be  so, 
since  our  Lord  himself,  when  he  assumed  our  nature,  was 
born  in  a  low  condition  ?  God  has  in  this  way,  poured  con- 
tempt upon  those  earthly  distinctions  in  which  mankind  are 
prone  to  glory. 

Asahel  Nettleton  was  born  in  North  Killingworth,  Con- 
necticut, April  21,  1783,  the  same  day  on  which  the  birth  of 
Samuel  J.  Mills  occurred.  He  was  the  eldest  son,  and  second 
child,  of  a  family  of  six  children,  consisting  of  three  sons,  and 
three  daughters.  His  parents,  though  but  little  known  to  the 
world,  were  esteemed  and  respected  by  their  neighbors.  II is 
father  was  a  farmer,  in  moderate,  but  comfortable  circumstan- 
ces ;  and  in  this  employment  Asahel  was  mostly  engaged, 
until  he  entered  college,  in  1805. 

His  childhood  and  youth,  so  far  as  is  known  to  the  writer, 


12  MEMOIR     OF 

were  characterized  by  nothing  very  peculiar.  His  early  ad- 
vantages of  education  were  such  only,  as  are  furnished  by  the 
common  district  school.  That  he  made  a  good  use  of  these 
advantages,  we  may  infer  from  the  thirst  for  knowledge  which 
he  evinced  at  a  later  period,  and  from  the  fact,  that  while  a 
young  man,  he  was  employed  several  winters  in  the  capacity 
of  a  school-teacher. 

His  parents,  according  to  the  custom  which  prevailed  at 
that  period  in  some  parts  of  New  England,  were  professors 
of  religion,  on  what  was  called  the  halfway  covenant  plan  ; — 
that  is,  they  wore  not  admitted  to  full  communion,  but  having 
publicly  assented  to  the  covenant  of  the  church,  they  were 
permitted  to  ofTer  their  children  in  baptism.*  Asahel  was  of 
course  baptized  in  his  infancy,  and  while  a  child,  received 
some  religious  instruction  from  his  parents.  He  was,  in  par- 
ticular, required  to  commit  to  memory  the  Assembly's  Cate- 
chism, which,  as  he  has  often  remarked,  was  of  great  use  to 
him  when  his  attention  was  awakened  to  the  concerns  of  his 
soul.  His  morals  were  also  strictly  guarded  by  his  parents, 
and  they  had  the  satisfaction  to  know,  that  during  the  period 
of  youth,  he  was  not  addicted  to  any  vicious  habits,  but  sus- 
tained, in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  an  unblemished  moral 
character. 

While  a  child,  he  was  occasionally  the  subject  of  religious 
impressions.  At  one  time  in  particular,  while  alone  in  the 
field,  and  looking  at  the  setting  sun,  he  was  powerfully  im- 
pressed with  the  thought  that  he  and  all  men  must  die.  He 
was  so  affected  by  this  thought,  that  he   stood  for  some  time 

*  This  custom,  according  to  Dr.  Bellamy,  was  first  introduced  by  the  recom- 
mendation of  a  synod  which  met  in  Boston,  ]  062.  Many  ministers  and  churches 
zealously  opposed  it  at  the  time,  and  although  it  gained  extensive  prevalence, 
it  was  never  universally  adopted.  It  began  to  be  discontinued  in  the  days  of 
Edwards  and  Bellamy  ;  for  the  latter  remarks,  "  Of  late  a  considerable  number 
of  churches  which  had  adopted  the  practice,  have  laid  it  aside."  The  revivals, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  put  a  period  to  it  in  most  of  the  churches 
and  at  present,  it  is  scarcely  known  in  any  part  of  New  England. 


DR  .    NETTLETON.  13 

and  wept  aloud.  But  these  feelings  were  transitory,  and  he 
seems  to  have  had  no  permanent  religious  impressions,  till 
the  fall  of  1800,  when  he  was  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  his 
age.  This  was  at  the  period  so  memorable  in  the  history  of 
our  American  Zion,  as  a  time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord.  For  half  a  century  the  influences  of  the  divine 
Spirit  had  been,  in  a  great  measure,  withdrawn  from  the 
churches.  Revivals,  "like  angel's  visits,  were  few  and  far 
between."  But  during  a  period  of  four  or  five  years,  com- 
mencing with  1798,  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
churches  in  New  England,  were  favored  with  the  special 
effusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  thousands  of  souls,  in  the 
judgment  of  charity,  were  translated  from  the  kingdom  of 
Satan  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son. 

In  the  blessings  of  this  general  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit, 
North  Killingworth  shared.  A  narrative  of  the  revival  of 
religion  in  this  town,  was  published  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
volumes  of  the  Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine.*  A  few 
individuals  whose  conversion  was  considered  particularly 
interesting,  were  requested  by  their  pastor  to  give  him,  in 
writing,  an  account  of  their  religious  exercises.  Mr.  Nettle- 
ton  was  one  of  the  number  ;  and  his  account,  with  that  of  two 
or  three  others,  is  incorporated  in  the  printed  narrative,  and 
is  as  follows  : 

"  Knowing  by  experience  the  deplorable  state  of  a  sinner, 
that  he  is  by  nature  totally  destitute  of  love  and  conformity  to 
God,  and  that  he  cannot  be  saved  but  by  a  special  act  of  sove- 
reign grace,  induceth  me  to  ask  for  further  instruction  upon 
this  all-important  subject,  and  to  communicate,  in  a  summary 
manner,  the  state  of  my  mind,  and  the  feelings  with  which 
it  has  been  exercised. 

"  From  my  earliest  age,  I  endeavored  to  lead  a  moral  life, 
being  often  taught  that  God  would  punish  sinners  ;  but  I  did 

*  In  this  narrative,  the  place  is  called  the  Second  Society  in  Killingworth. 
2 


14  MEMOIR     OF 

not  believe  that  I  should  suffer  for  the  few  offences  of  which 
1  had  been  guilty.  Having  avoided  many  sins  which  I  saw 
in  others,  I  imagined  all  was  well  with  me,  till  I  was  about 
eighteen  years  old,  when  I  heard  a  sermon  preached  upon  the 
necessity  of  regeneration,  which  put  me  upon  thinking  of  the 
need  of  a  change  of  heart  in  myself.  I  did  not,  however,  well 
receive  the  discourse  at  the  time,  for  I  was  sensible  I  knew 
nothing  about  such  a  change,  neither  did  I  wish  to  know,  for 
I  believed  myself  as  good  as  others  without  it,  and  to  be  equal 
with  them,  I  thought  would  be  sufficient.  However,  the 
thought  troubled  me  considerably  from  day  to  day,  and  caused 
me  to  think  of  praying,  which  I  had  never  done,  except  re- 
peating some  form  as  a  little  child,  and  doing  it  to  remove  the 
stings  of  a  guilty  conscience,  when  I  considered  myself  in 
imminent  danger.  Sometime  after  this,  I  heard  another  ser- 
mon that  convinced  me  I  had  quenched  the  spirit,  which  oc- 
casioned me  the  most  alarming  fears  that  I  should  forever  be 
left  to  eat  the  fruit  of  my  own  ways.  Supposing  I  was  alone 
in  the  thoughts  of  eternity,  I  separated  myself  from  all  com- 
pany, and  determined  to  seek  an  interest  in  Christ.  I  con- 
cluded something  must  be  done  to  appease  God's  anger.  I 
read  and  prayed,  and  strove  in  every  possible  way  to  prepare 
myself  to  go  to  God,  that  I  might  be  saved  from  his  wrath. 
The  more  I  strove  in  this  selfish  way,  the  more  anxious  I  was, 
and  no  hope  was  given.  Soon  I  began  to  murmur  and  repine, 
and  accused  God  of  the  greatest  injustice  in  requiring  me  to 
return  to  him  ;  and  while  I  was  striving  with  all  my  might, 
as  I  supposed,  he  appeared  not  to  regard  me.  I  considered 
God  obligated  to  love  me,  because  I  had  done  so  much  for 
him,  and  finding  no  relief,  I  wished  that  he  might  not  be,  and 
began  really  to  doubt  the  truths  of  his  holy  word,  and  to  dis- 
believe his  existence  ;  for  if  there  was  a  God,  I  perfectly 
hated  him.  I  searched  the  scriptures  daily,  hoping  to  find 
inconsistencies  in  them,  to  condemn  the  Bible  because  it  was 
against  me  ;  and  while  I  was  diligently  pursuing  my  purpose, 


DR.     NETTLE  TON.  15 

every  thing  I  read,  and  every  sermon  I  heard,  condemned 
me.  Christian  conversation  gave  me  the  most  painful  sensa- 
tions. I  tried- to  repent,  but  I  could  not  feel  the  least  sorrow 
for  my  innumerable  sins.  By  endeavoring  to  repent,  I  saw 
my  heart  still  remained  impenitent.  Although  I  knew  I  hated 
every  thing  serious,  yet  I  determined  to  habituate  myself  to 
the  duties  which  God  required,  and  see  if  I  could  not  by  that 
means  be  made  to  love  him,  and  I  continued  in  this  state  some 
months.  The  fear  of  having  committed  the  unpardonable  sin, 
now  began  to  rise  in  my  mind,  and  I  could  find  no  rest  day 
nor  night.  When  my  weary  limbs  demanded  sleep,  the  fear 
of  awaking  in  a  miserable  eternity  prevented  the  closing  of 
my  eyes,  and  nothing  gave  me  ease.  No  voice  of  mirth,  or 
sound  whatever  was  heard,  but  what  reminded  me  of  the 
awful  day  when  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment. 
All  self-righteousness  failed  me  ;  and  having  no  confidence 
in  God,  I  was  left  in  deep  despondency.  After  a  while,  a 
surprising  tremor  seized  all  my  limbs,  and  death  appeared  to 
have  taken  hold  upon  me.  Eternity,  the  word  eternity,  sound- 
ed louder  than  any  voice  I  ever  heard,  and  every  moment  of 
time  seemed  more  valuable  than  all  the  wealth  of  the  world. 
Not  long  after  this,  an  unusual  calmness  pervaded  my  soul, 
which  I  thought  little  of  at  first,  except  that  I  was  freed  from 
my  awful  convictions,  and  this  sometimes  grieved  me,  fearing 
I  had  lost  all  conviction.  Soon  after,  hearing  the  feelings  of 
a  christian  described,  I  took  courage,  and  thought  I  knew  by 
experience  what  they  were.  The  character  of  God,  and  the 
doctrines  of  the  Bible  which  I  could  not  meditate  upon  before 
without  hatred,  especially  those  of  election  and  free  grace, 
now  appear  delightful,  and  the  only  means  by  which,  through 
grace,  dead  sinners  can  be  made  the  living  sons  of  God.  My 
heart  feels  its  sinfulness.  To  confess  my  sins  to  God,  gives 
me  that  peace  which  before  I  knew  nothing  of.  To  sorrow 
for  it,  affords  that  joy  which  my  tongue  cannot  express.  Were 
I  sensible  that  at  death,  my  hope  would  perish,  yet  it  seem- 


16  .MEMOIR     OF 

eth  to  me  now,  that  I  could  not  willingly  quit  the  service  of 
God,  nor  the  company  of  christians  ;  but  my  unfaithfulness 
often  makes  me  fear  my  sincerity ;  and  should  I  at  last  be 
raised  to  glory,  all  the  praise  will  be  to  God  for  the  exhibition 
of  his  sovereign  grace." 

This  account  wras  written  not  far  from  the  time  when  he 
made  a  profession  of  religion  ;  and  interesting  as  it  is,  it  con- 
tains but  an  imperfect  sketch  of  the  exercises  of  his  mind, 
during  the  ten  months  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  was  striving 
with  him.  I  add  a  few  facts  which  are  copied  from  a  mem- 
orandum made  immediately  after  hearing  from  his  own  lips,  a 
more  minute  and  particular  account  of  his  conversion. 

In  giving  this  account,  he  remarked  that  the  foregoing 
printed  statement,  is  not  exactly  as  he  wrote  it.  Some  verbal 
alterations  were  made  in  it,  which,  although  they  were  not 
intended  to  affect  the  sense,  do  affect  it  in  some  degree  ;  par- 
ticularly in  the  sentence  in  which  these  words  occur  :  "  When 
I  heard  a  sermon  preached  upon  the  necessity  of  regeneration, 
which  put  me  upon  thinking  of  the  need  of  a  change  of  heart 
in  myself."  This,  as  it  now  reads,  seems  to  convey  the  idea, 
that  his  attention  was  first  awakened  to  the  concerns  of  his 
soul,  by  a  particular  sermon.  But  this  was  not  true,  nor  was 
such  an  idea  expressed  in  the  original  manuscript.  His  first 
permanent  religious  impressions  occurred  in  the  following 
manner  : 

On  the  night  of  the  annual  Thanksgiving,  in  the  fall  of  1800, 
he  attended  a  ball.  The  next  morning,  while  alone,  and 
thinking  with  pleasure  on  the  scenes  of  the  preceding  night, 
and  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  proposed  to  spend  the  day, 
in  company  with  some  of  his  young  companions,  the  thought 
suddenly  rushed  upon  his  mind,  we  must  all  die,  and  go  to  the 
judgment,  and  with  what  feelings  shall  we  then  reflect  upon 
these  scenes  !  This  thought  was,  for  the  moment,  overwhel- 
ming ;  and  it  left  an  impression  on  his  mind,  which  he  could 
not  efface.     His  pleasing  reflections  on  the  past,  and  antici- 


DR.     NETTLETON.  17 

pations  of  the  future,  vanished  at  once,  and  gave  place  to 
feelings  of  a  very  different  kind.  These  feelings  he  conceal- 
ed ;  but  he  could  not  entirely  banish  them  from  his  mind. 
The  world  had  lost  its  charms.  All  those  amusements  in 
which  he  had  taken  delight,  were  overcast  with  gloom.  His 
thoughts  dwelt  much  on  the  scenes  of  death,  judgment  and 
eternity.  He  knew  that  he  had  an  immortal  soul  that  must  be 
happy  or  miserable  in  the  future  world ;  and  although  he  had 
consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he  was  as  good  as  others 
around  him,  and  that  his  condition  was,  of  course,  as  safe  as 
theirs  ;  yet  he  now  felt  conscious  that  he  was  unprepared  to 
meet  his  God.  He  at  the  same  time  perceived  that  he  was 
liable  every  moment  to  be  cut  down  by  the  stroke  of  death, 
and  summoned  to  his  last  account.  He  had  no  peace  of  mind 
by  day  or  by  night.  Although,  at  this  time,  he  had  no  very 
just  conceptions  of  the  divine  law,  or  of  the  depravity  of  his 
heart ;  yet  he  was  sensible  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  that  his 
sins  must  be  pardoned,  or  he  could  not  be  saved.  The  duty 
of  prayer  was  now  forcibly  impressed  upon  his  mind,  a  duty 
which  he  had  almost  entirely  neglected  ;  and  it  was  not  with- 
out a  great  struggle  in  his  feelings,  that  he  was  brought  to 
bend  the  knee  to  Jehovah.  At  the  same  time,  he  gave  him- 
self much  to  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  other  religious 
books,  and  separated  himself  as  much  as  possible  from  thought- 
less companions.  So  far  as  he  knew,  and  so  far  as  is  now 
known,  there  was,  at  that  time,  no  other  person  in  the  town 
under  serious  impressions.*  The  young  people  with  whom 
he  had  been  most  intimate,  were  exceedingly  thoughtless,  and 
given  to  vain  and  sinful  amusements.  They  were,  at  this 
time,  making  arrangements  for  the  establishment  of  a  dancing 
school,  and  they  expected  his  aid  and  co-operation  in  the 
measure.     But  to  their  astonishment,  he  utterly   refused  to 

*  This  was  in  the  Autumn  of  1800.     The  revival  did  not  become  visible  till 
the  following  spring. 

2* 


18  MEMOIR     OF 

have  anything  to  do  with  it.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
quit  forever  all  such  amusements,  and  to  seek  the  salvation  of 
his  soul.  But  as  he  did  not  reveal  his  feelings  to  any  of  his 
associates,  they  knew  not  how  to  account  for  this  sudden 
change  in  his  appearance  and  conduct.  Some,  perhaps  sus- 
pected the  true  cause  ;  while  others  supposed  that  for  some 
reason,  unknown  to  them,  his  affections  had  become  alienated 
from  his  former  friends.  Thus,  for  months,  he  mourned  in 
secret,  and  did  not  communicate  his  feelings  to  a  single  indi- 
vidual. During  this  period,  he  had  a  strong  desire  that  some, 
of  his  young  companions  would  set  out  with  him  in  pursuit  of 
religion  :  and  although  his  proud  heart  would  not  permit  him 
to  make  known  to  them  the  state  of  his  mind,  yet  he  occasion- 
ally ventured  to  expostulate  with  them  on  the  folly  and  sinful- 
ness of  their  conduct ;  and  to  some  few  individuals,  he 
addressed  short  letters  on  the  same  subject.  These  warnings 
were  treated  by  some,  with  ridicule  and  contempt.  On  the 
minds  of  others,  they  made  an  impression,  which,  as  he  after- 
wards learned,  was  never  effaced.  This  was  particularly  the 
case  with  Philander  Parmele,  who  was  afterwards  his  class- 
mate in  college,  and  intimate  friend  through  life.* 

When  Mr.  Nettleton  first  became  anxious  respecting  the 
salvation  of  his  soul,  he  had  not,  as  has  been  remarked,  any 
very  just  conceptions  of  the  depravity  of  his  heart.  He  was 
sensible  that  he  was  not  in  a  safe  condition.  He  knew  that 
he  needed  something  which  he  did  not.  possess,  to  prepare 
him  for  heaven.  He  had  a  general  vague  idea  that  he  was  a 
sinner,  but  he  saw  not  the  fountain  of  iniquity  within  him. 
As  is  common  with  persons  when  awakened  to  a  sense  of 
their  danger,  he  went  about  to  establish  his  own  righteousness. 
He  vainly  presumed,  that  by  diligent  and  persevering  efforts, 
he  should  recommend  himself  to  the  favor  of  God.     He  was 

*  Mr.  Parmele  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  Bolton,  Conn.  At  his  house 
Mr.  Nettleton  was  sick  with  the  typhus  fever  in  1822.  Mr.  Parmele  took  the 
fever  of  him  and  died. 


DR,      NETTLETON.  19 

accordingly  very  abundant  in  his  religious  services.  He  not 
only  abandoned  those  amusements  in  which  he  had  delighted, 
and  forsook  in  a  great  measure  the  society  of  those  who  took 
no  interest  in  the  subject  of  religion  ;  but  he  spent  much 
time  in  retirement,  earnestly  crying  to  God  for  mercy.  He 
would  often  repair  to  the  fields  and  forests  for  this  purpose, 
and  he  sometimes  spent  a  large  part  of  the  night  in  prayer. 
Tn  this  way,  he  expected  to  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  his  sins, 
and  the  peace  and  consolation  which  God  has  promised  to  his 
people.  But  after  laboring  for  some  time  in  this  manner,  he 
became  alarmed  at  his  want  of  success.  God  seemed  to  pay 
no  regard  to  his  prayers  :  and  how  to  account  for  this  fact  he 
knew  not.  At  this  crisis,  he  was  assailed  by  infidel  doubts. 
The  question  arose  in  his  mind,  whether  he  had  not  proved 
the  Bible  to  be  false.  It  is  written,  Ask  and  ye  shall  receive, 
Seek  and  ye  shall  find.  He  said  to  himself,  I  have  asked,  but 
I  have  not  received  —  I  have  sought  but  I  have  not  found. 
How  then  can  these  promises  be  true  ?  And  how  can  the 
book  which  contains  them,  be  the  word  of  God  ?  He  found 
himself  disposed  to  cherish  these  doubts,  and  to  seek  for  fur- 
ther proof  that  the  Bible  is  not  true.  He  searched  the  Scrip- 
tures on  purpose  to  find  contradictions  in  them,  and  he  even 
went  so  far  as  to  begin  to  doubt  the  existence  of  a  God. 
Like  the  fool,  he  said  in  his  heart  there  is  no  God  ;  that  is, 
he  washed  there  were  none  ;  for  he  was  sensible  that  if  there 
was  a  God,  he  was  not  reconciled  to  his  character ;  and  he 
wished  the  Bible  to  be  false,  because  he  saw  that  it  condemned 
him.  But  his  efforts  to  satisfy  himself  that  religion  is  not 
a  reality,  did  not  succeed.  The  thought  would  sometimes 
arise,  what  if  the  Bible  should  prove  to  be  true  ?  Then  I  am 
lost  forever.  This  would  fill  him  with  inconceivable  horror. 
These  struggles  in  his  mind,  led  him  to  a  more  just  knowl- 
edge of  his  character  and  condition.  He  began  to  see  the 
plague  of  his  own  heart.  His  doubts  respecting  the  truth  of 
the  promises  which  God  has  made  to  those  who   ask,   and 


20  MEMOIR    OF 

seek,  were  dispelled  by  the  painful  conviction  that  he  never 
had  asked  and  sought  as  God  requires.  The  commandment 
came,  sin  revived,  and  he  died.  He  saw  that  God  looks  on 
the  heart,  and  that  he  requires  holy  and  spiritual  service  of 
his  creatures  ;  that  he  seeketh  such  to  worship  him,  as  worship 
him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  He  saw  at  the  same  time,  that  in 
all  his  religious  services,  he  had  been  prompted  by  selfish 
motives.  He  saw  that  in  all  which  he  had  done,  he  had  had 
no  love  to  God,  and  no  regard  to  his  glory ;  but  that  he  had 
been  influenced  solely  by  a  desire  to  promote  his- own  person- 
al interest  and  happiness.  He  saw  that  in  all  the  distress 
which  he  had  experienced  on  account  of  his  sin,  there  was 
no  godly  sorrow — no  true  contrition.  He  had  not  hated  sin 
because  it  was  committed  against  God,  but  had  merely  dread- 
ed its  consequences.  He  had  taken  great  pains  to  cleanse 
the  outside  of  the  cup  and  the  platter,  but  he  now  perceived 
that  the  inside  4.was  full  of  all  uncleanness.  And  he  was 
thoroughly  convinced,  that 

"  No  outward  forms  could  make  him  clean, 
The  leprosy  lay  deep  within." 

He  had  prayed,  and  wept  and  promised,  but  he  now  saw, 
that 

"  His  prayers  and  tears  and  vows  were  vile, 
His  duties  black  with  guilt." 

During  this  period  he  read  President  Edwards'  narrative 
of  the  revival  of  religion  in  Northampton,  and  the  memoir  of 
Brainerd.  These  served  very  much  to  deepen  the  conviction 
of  his  utterly  lost  condition.  The  preaching  which  he  heard 
from  time  to  time,  also  greatly  distressed  him.  As  he  says  in 
his  narrative,  every  sermon  condemned  him.  Nothing  gave 
him  any  relief.  He  seemed  to  be  sinking  daily  deeper  and 
deeper  in  guilt  and  wretchedness.  One  day,  while  alone  in 
the  field,  engaged  in  prayer,  his  heart  rose  against  God,  be- 
cause he  did  not  hear  and   answer  his  prayers.     Then  the 


DR.     NETTLETON.  21 

words  of  the  Apostle,  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God, 
came  to  his  mind  with  such  overwhelming  power,  as  to  de- 
prive him  of  strength,  and  he  fell  prostrate  on  the  earth.  The 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  particularly  the  doctrines  of  divine 
sovereignty  and  election,  were  sources  of  great  distress  to 
him.  There  was  much  talk  respecting  these  doctrines,  at 
that  time,  in  North  Killingworth.  Some  disbelieved  and 
openly  opposed  them.  He  searched  the  Scriptures  with  great 
diligence  to  ascertain  whether  they  are  there  taught ;  and 
although  his  heart  was  unreconciled  to  them,  he  dared  not 
deny  them,  for  he  was  convinced  that  they  were  taught  in  the 
Bible.  He  would  sometimes  say  to  himself,  if  I  am  not 
elected,  I  shall  not  be  saved,  even  if  I  do  repent — then  the 
thought  would  arise,  if  I  am  not  elected,  I  never  shall  repent. 
This  would  cut  him  to  the  heart,  and  dash  to  the  ground  all 
his  self-righteous  hopes.  For  a  long  time  he  endured  these 
conflicts  in  his  mind.  Meanwhile  he  became  fully  convinced, 
that  the  commands  of  God  are  perfectly  just,  that  it  was  his 
immediate  duty  to  repent,  and  that  he  had  no  excuse  for  con- 
tinuing another  moment  a  rebel  against  God.  At  the  same 
time  he  saw  that  such  was  the  wickedness  of  his  heart,  that 
he  never  should  repent,  unless  God  should  subdue  his  heart 
by  an  act  of  sovereign  grace.  With  these  views  of  his  con- 
dition, his  distress  was  sometimes  almost  insupportable.  At 
one  time  he  really  supposed  himself  to  be  dying,  and  sinking 
into  hell.  This  was  the  time  of  which  he  speaks  in  his  nar- 
rative, when  he  says,  "  an  unusual  tremor  seized  all  my  limbs, 
and  death  appeared  to  have  taken  hold  upon  me."  For  several 
hours,  his  horror  of  mind  was  inexpressible.  Not  long  after 
this,  there  was  a  change  in  his  feelings.  He  felt  a  calmness 
for  which  he  knew  not  how  to  account.  He  thought,  at  first, 
that  he  had  lost  his  convictions,  and  was  going  back  to  stu- 
pidity. This  alarmed  him,  but  still  he  could  not  recall  his 
former  feelings.  A  sweet  peace  pervaded  his  soul.  The 
objects  which  had  given  him  so  much  distress,  he  now  con- 


22  MEMOIR    OF 

templated  with  delight.  He  did  not,  however,  for  several 
days  suppose  that  he  had  experienced  a  change  of  heart ;  but 
finding  at  length  that  his  views  and  feelings  accorded  with 
those  expressed  by  others  whom  he  regarded  as  the  friends  of 
Christ,  he  began  to  think  it  possible  that  he  might  have  pass- 
ed from  death  unto  life.  The  more  he  examined  himself, 
the  more  evidence  he  found  that  a  great  change  had  been 
wrought  in  his  views  and  feelings  respecting  divine  things. 
Old  things  had  passed  away — all  things  had  become  new. 
The  character  of  God  now  appeared  lovely.  The  Saviour 
was  exceedingly  precious  ;  and  the  doctrines  of  grace,  to- 
wards which  he  had  felt  such  bitter  opposition,  he  contem- 
plated with  delight.  He  had  now  no  doubt  of  their  truth. 
He  saw  clearly  that  if  there  was  any  good  thing  in  him  to- 
wards the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  it  was  not  the  result  of  any 
effort  of  his  own,  but  of  the  sovereign  and  distinguished  will 
of  God.  He  was  ready  to  say  with  the  Apostle,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  I  am  what  1  am.  He  knew  that  if  God  had 
left  him  to  himself,  he  should  have  persisted  in  the  road  to 
ruin.  It  was  no  longer  a  question  with  him,  whether  the 
natural  heart  is  destitute  of  holiness,  and  opposed  to  God — 
or  whether  it  is  necessary  that  the  sinner  should  be  born 
again  by  the  special  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  What 
the  Scriptures  teach  on  these  points,  was  confirmed  by  his 
experience.  He  had  the  witness  in  himself  of  the  truth  of 
these  doctrines.  And  so  firmly  was  he  established  in  the  be- 
lief of  them,  that  his  faith  never  wavered  during  his  life.  He 
now  felt  a  peculiar  love  for  the  people  of  God,  and  a  delight 
in  the  duties  of  religion,  to  which  before,  he  was  a  total 
stranger. 

If  the  reader  would  know  the  state  of  his  mind  at  this 
period,  let  him  read  three  or  four  of  the  Village  Hymns,  be- 
ginning with  the  372,  which  were  intended  to  describe  the 
feelings  of  a  young  convert.     He  has  been  heard  to  say,  that 


DR.    NETTLETON.  23 

in  arranging  those  hymns,  he  put  those  first  which  described 
his  own  feelings  at  the  time  of  his  conversion. 

But  although  he  enjoyed  great  peace  of  mind,  he  never 
expressed  a  very  high  degree  of  confidence  that  he  was  a 
child  of  God.  He  had  such  a  deep  and  abiding  sense  of  the 
deceitfulness  of  the  human  heart,  and  of  the  danger  of  self- 
deception,  that  not  only  at  this  period,  but  ever  afterwards,  he 
was  exceedingly  cautious  in  expressing  his  belief  that  he  was 
accepted  of  God.  At  one  time,  being  asked  whether  he  had 
any  doubts  respecting  his  interest  in  the  promises,  he  replied, 
"  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  have  religious  enjoyment ;  but  the 
question  is,  whether  it  is  of  the  right  kind."  At  another  time 
he  said,  "  the  most  that  I  have  ventured  to  say  respecting  my- 
self, is,  that  I  think  it  possible  I  may  get  to  heaven."  It  was 
always  painful  to  him  to  hear  persons  express  great  confi- 
dence of  their  interest  in  the  divine  favor,  unless  they  were 
persons  of  eminent  piety.  He  feared  they  did  not  realize 
how  deceitful  the  human  heart  is. 

It  was  about  ten  months,  as  has  been  already  intimated, 
from  the  time  when  Mr.  Nettleton's  attention  was  first  seri- 
ously turned  to  the  subject  of  religion,  before  he  obtained 
peace  in  believing.  With  him,  what  the  old  divines  termed 
the  law-work,  was  deep  and  thorough.  This  protracted  sea- 
son of  conviction  gave  him  a  knowledge  of  the  human  heart 
which  few  possess ;  and  which  was  doubtless  intended  by 
God  to  prepare  him  for  that  pre-eminent  success  which  at- 
tended his  labors  as  a  minister  of  Christ.  As  one  observes, 
"  God  prepares  for  himself  the  souls  which  he  destines  to 
some  important  work.  We  must  prepare  the  vessel  before  we 
launch  it  on  the  mighty  deep.  If  education  is  necessary  for 
every  man,  then  is  a  particular  education  necessary  for  those 
who  are  to  influence  the  generations  in  which  they  live." 

The  following  remark  of  President  Edwards  in  relation  to 
the  conversion  of  David  Brainerd,  will  apply  equally  to  the 
conversion  of  Mr.   Nettleton.     "  His  convictions  of  sin  pre- 


24  MEMOIR    OF 

ceding  his  first  consolations  in  Christ,  were  exceedingly  deep 
and  thorough.  His  trouble  and  sorrow  arising  from  a  sense 
of  guilt  and  misery  were  very  great,  and  long  continued,  but 
yet  sound  and  rational,  consisting  in  no  unsteady,  violent,  and 
unaccountable  frights  and  perturbations  of  the  mind  ;  bu 
arising  from  the  most  serious  considerations,  and  a  clear  illu- 
mination  of  the  conscience  to  discern  and  consider  the  true 
state  of  things.  The  light  let  into  his  mind  at  conversion, 
and  the  influences  and  exercises  to  which  his  mind  was  sub- 
ject at  that  time,  appear  very  agreeable  to  reason,  and  to  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  change  was  very  great  and  re- 
markable, yet  without  any  appearance  of  strong  impressions 
on  the  imagination,  or  sudden  flights  of  the  affections,  or 
vehement  emotions  of  the  animal  nature.  It  was  attended 
with  just  views  of  the  supreme  glory  of  the  divine  being, 
consisting  in  the  infinite  dignity  and  beauty  of  the  perfection 
of  his  nature,  and  of  the  transcendent  excellency  of  the  way 
of  salvation  by  Christ." 

The  preceding  is  from  a  sermon  at  the  funeral  of  Brainerd. 


CHAPTER    II. 

His  desire  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  to  become  a  missionary  to  the  heathen.— 
Difficulties  in  the  way  of  obtaining  an  education.— The  manner  in  which  he 
overcame  them.— College  life.— Acquaintance  with  Samuel  J.  Mills.— Appointment 
as  Butler  in  College.— Theological  education  at  Milford,  under  the  instruction  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Pinneo.— License  to  preach  the  Gospel.— The  reason  why  he  did  not 
become  a  Missionary. 

In  the  year  1801,  the  father  of  Mr.  Nettleton  died.  As 
he  was  the  oldest  son,  the  care  of  the  family,  and  the  man- 
agement of  the  farm  devolved  upon  him.  It  had  been  his  ex- 
pectation to  spend  his  days  in  agricultural  pursuits  ;  but  God 
had  designed  him  for  a  different  course  of  life.  x\fter  the 
change  in  his  feelings,  described  in  the  preceding  chapter,  his 
mind  dwelt  much  on  the  worth  of  the  soul,  and  the  deplorable 
condition  of  those  who  have  no  interest  in  Christ ;  and  he 
had  the  most  intense  desires  to  be  instrumental  in  the  salvation 
of  his  fellow  men.  While  laboring  in  the  field,  he  would  often 
say  to  himself,  "  if  I  might  be  the  means  of  saving  one  soul, 
I  should  prefer  it  to  all  the  riches  and  honors  of  this  world." 
He  would  frequently  look  forward  to  eternity,  and  put  to  him- 
self the  question,  "  what  shall  I  wish  I  had  done,  thousands 
and  millions  of  years  hence  ?"  About  this  time,  he  became 
exceedingly  interested  in  the  short  accounts  which  were  pub- 
lished in  the  Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine,  of  the  ope- 
rations of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  of  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  in  England.  These  awakened  in  his 
breast  a  strong  desire  to  become  a  missionary  to  the  heathen  ; 
and  he  decided  to  devote  his  life  to  the  missionary  service,  if 


26  MEMOIR    OF 

God,  in  his  Providence,  should  prepare  the  way.  This  pur- 
pose was  afterwards  greatly  strengthened  by  the  perusal  of 
Home's  Letters  on  Missions.  The  feelings  which  Samuel 
J.  Mills  expressed  to  his  father  soon  after  his  conversion, 
were  precisely  the  feelings  of  young  Nettleton  at  this  period, 
viz  :  "  That  he  could  not  conceive  of  any  course  of  life  in  which 
to  pass  the  rest  of  his  days,  that  would  prove  so  pleasant,  as  to 
go  and  communicate  the  gospel  salvation  to  the  poor  heathen." 

It  has  been  already  remarked,  that  Samuel  J.  Mills  and 
Asahel  Nettleton  were  born  on  the  same  day.  It  is  a  remark- 
able fact,  that  their  new  and  spiritual  birth  occurred  very  nearly 
at  the  same  time* — that  the  conversion  of  both  was  signally 
marked — and  that  from  the  commencement  of  their  christian 
course,  they  seem  to  have  been  imbued  with  the  same  spirit, 
and  to  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  same  employment. 
And  here  I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  a  few  sentences  from 
the  memoir  of  Mills.  "  Thus  early  did  a  sovereign  God  who 
has  pity  on  the  heathen,  set  apart  Samuel  J.  Mills  for  a  mis- 
sionary. Though  a  youth  of  but  sixteen,!  he  discovered  a  zeal 
in  the  missionary  cause,,  an  eagerness  in  the  pursuit  of  mis- 
sionary intelligence,  and  an  enlargement  of  thought  in  his  plans 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  unevangelized  wrorld,  which  left 
little  doubt  that  he  was  chained  to  his  purpose  by  a  superior 
power.  It  was  heart  yearning  over  the  miseries  of  perish- 
ing millions,  that  first  led  him  to  think  of  acquiring  an  educa- 
tion with  a  view  to  the  gospel  ministry.  The  spirit  of  God 
came  over  him  like  Elisha  in  the  field.  While  toiling  at  the 
plough,  was  his  heart  touched  with  compassion  for  the  heath- 
on  world,  and  he  bid  adieu  to  his  farm  to  obtain  an  education, 
on  purpose  to  carry  the   gospel  to  millions  who  were  perish- 

*The  conversion  of  Mills  occurred  in  November,  1801.  That  of  Nettleton, 
about  two  months  earlier. 

t  This  is  a  mistake.  It  ought  to  be  eighteen.  It  appears  from  a  statement 
on  a  preceding  page  of  the  memoir,  that  his  conversion  took  place  in  Novem- 
ber, 1801,  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  27 

ing  for  lack  of  knowledge.  Thus  in  a  retired  field  in  Litch- 
field county,  was  the  king  of  Zion  beginning  that  grand  course 
of  operations,  which  have  produced  such  a  revolution  in  the 
American  churches,  and  which  bear  so  intimate  a  relation  to 
the  progressive  glories  of  his  kingdom  !"  All  this,  excepting 
the  name  of  the  county,  was  as  true  of  Nettleton  as  of  Mills, 
and  very  nearly  at  the  same  time. 

It  is  a  striking  fact,  that  while  these  two  individuals  seem 
to  have  been  the  first  in  this  country  (in  these  latter  days,)  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  missionary  work,  neither  of  them 
was  permitted  to  enter  upon  it.  It  happened  to  them  as  to 
David,  in  relation  to  the  building  of  the  temple.  They  did 
well  that  it  was  in  their  hearts  to  go  to  the  heathen  ;  but  the 
honor  of  actually  going,  was  reserved  for  others.  The  rea- 
sons which  prevented  Mills  from  becoming  a  missionary  to  the 
heathen,  are  already  before  the  public.  Those  which  pre- 
vented Nettleton,  will  be  given  in  the  sequel. 

In  acquiring  a  collegiate  education,  he  had  many  difficulties 
and  discouragements  to  encounter.  His  pecuniary  means 
were  entirely  inadequate  ;  and  in  those  days,  there  were  no 
Education  societies,  and  no  funds  for  the  support  of  indigent 
students.  Such  also,  were  the  circumstances  of  the  family, 
recently  deprived  of  its  head,  as  to  render  his  presence  and 
labor  at  home,  apparently  indispensable.  So  strong  however, 
was  his  desire  to  become  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  heathen,  that  he  resolved  to  make  the  attempt  to 
obtain  an  education.  He  procured  some  books,  and  while 
laboring  on  the  farm,  dovoted  his  leisure  moments  to  study. 
In  the  winter  he  taught  school,  and  spent  his  evenings  in 
study,  occasionally  reciting  to  his  pastor.  Thus,  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  years,  with  very  little  instruction,  and  while 
laboring  most  of  the  time  on  the  farm,  except  when  engaged 
in  school-keeping,  he  mastered  the  preparatory  studies,  and 
entered  the  Freshman  class  in  Yale  College,  about  the  middle  of 
the  first  term,  in  the  fall  of  1805. 


28 


MEMOIR    OF 


When  Mr.  Nettleton  entered  college,  he  was  the  only  pro- 
fessor of  religion  in  his  class.  Some  others,  however,  en- 
tered before  the  close  of  the  year,  one  of  whom  was  his 
friend  and  fellow  townsman,  Philander  Parmele.  Some  part 
of  the  time  while  a  member  of  college,  he  taught  a  school  in  - 
New  Haven,  to  procure  the  means  of  defraying  his  expenses. 
He  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  children 
committed  to  his  care,  and  he  had  the  happiness  to  know,  that 
many  of  them  became  the  hopeful  subjects  of  divine  grace, 
under  his  preaching,  in  the  revival  of  1815. 

The   following  account  of  Mr.  Nettleton's  college  life,  is 
from  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Lee. 

"  I  was  classmate  with  Mr.  Nettleton  during  the  two  last 
years  of  our  college  life,  and  roomed  with  him  through  the 
junior  year.  Having  entered  one  year  before  him,  and  thus 
belonging  to  the  next  preceding  class,  till  the  expiration  of  my 
Sophomore  and  his  Freshman  year ;  and  then  being  kept  out 
of  college  and  broken  off  from  my  studies  by  a  severe  malady, 
for  one  whole  year,  I  formed  but  little  acquaintance  with  him, 
till  I  returned  again  to  college,  and  joined  his  class  at  the 
beginning  of  their  junior  year,  in  October,  1807.  My  pre- 
vious observation  of  him  in  his  class,  had  left  the  impression 
that  he  was  a  modest  and  inoffensive  youth,  of  unpolished 
manners,  but  unexceptionable  in  moral  deportment,  and  bear- 
ing the  marks  of  a  peculiar  interest,  solemnity  and  devoted- 
ness  in  the  religious  worship,  and  at  the  communion  sea- 
sons in  the  chapel.  Providence  brought  us  in  contact,  now, 
in  new  and  unanticipated  circumstances.  I  was  standing  in 
melancholy  mood,  in  the  south  door  of  the  then  middle  or  old 
college,  disheartened  at  the  loss  of  a  year  in  standing,  a 
stranger  to  the  class,  and  with  no  room  or  room-mate  engaged, 
reluctant  to  make  application  to  any  one,  supposing  their  ar- 
rangements in  this  respect,  had  been  already  made.  Nettle- 
ton passing  by,  seemed  attracted  by  my  sombre  attitude,  and 
down-cast  aspect,  and  approaching,  kindly  inquired  whether  I 


DR.    NETTLETON.  29 

had  obtained  a  room-mate,  and  learning  by  my  reply  that  I 
had  not,  offered  himself  to  room  with  me.  The  circumstan- 
ces of  this  proffer,  and  the  manner  of  its  being  made,  gave  a 
new  and  peculiar  impression  to  my  mind  in  regard  to  him,  as 
it  showed  a  readiness  to  relinquish  his  previous  designs  on  the 
subject,  to  relieve  my  anxiety,  and  show  me  a  kindness.  It 
was  an  expression  of  unsought,  but  timely  and  generous 
friendship,  (as  various  facts  connected  with  his  offer  convinc- 
ed me,)  which  is  not  often  met  with,  in  the  intercourse  of 
youth  at  college.  I  thankfully  accepted  his  overture,  which 
removed  a  heavy  burden  from  my  spirit  and  carried  convic- 
tion to  my  heart,  that  I  had  found  a  friend  in  whom  it  was 
safe  to  confide.  From  that  day  to  this,  greatly  as  I  was 
grieved  to  leave  my  former  class,  to  which  I  felt  strongly  at- 
tached, I  have  regarded  the  hand  of  Providence  in  bringing 
me  into  intimacy  with  that  godly  young  man,  as  claiming  my 
liveliest  gratitude.  It  was  the  good  hand  of  God  upon  me ; 
it  was  the  sovereignty  of  his  love,  that  chastened  the  aspira- 
tions for  literary  distinction,  and  after  calling  in  the  day  of 
adversity  to  consider,  led  me  to  daily  converse  with  one  who 
showed  the  nature  and  superlative  value  of  unostentatious, 
consistent  piety,  and  this  at  the  most  solemn  crisis  in  my  in- 
dividual history. 

"  On  becoming  more  particularly  acquainted  with  Nettleton, 
I  perceived  that  he  was  one  who  feared  God.  Ever  kind, 
courteous,  conscientious  and  exemplary,  unassuming  and  un- 
ostentatious ;  his  words  and  actions  bore  the  most  powerful 
testimony  in  my  conscience,  to  the  genuineness  of  his  reli- 
gious principles.  He  evidently  had  a  taste  for  the  spiritual 
themes  and  exercises  pertaining  to  religion,  so  predominant 
and  controlling,  as  to  leave  small  space  for  merely  literary 
ambition.  His  best  loved  place  was  the  chapel,  listening  with 
devout  solemnity,  to  the  prayers  and  preaching  of  the  vene- 
rated D wight.  His  best  loved  book  was  the  Bible.  His  best 
loved  day  was  the  Sabbath — and  his  best  loved  friends,  were 
3* 


30  MEMOIR    OF 

those  who  knew  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  a  pious  heart.  He 
was  intimate  with  only  a  few  select  companions,  of  congenial 
spirit,  and  who  felt  most  interested  in  communing  together 
upon  the  topics  of  doctrinal  and  experimental  religion. 

"  In  regard  to  his  standing  as  a  scholar,  it  is  true,  he  was 
not,  in  this  respect,  distinguished,  as  he  never  rose  above  the 
ordinary  rank  in  the  common  course  of  classical  studies. 
This  I  attribute,  not  to  a  defect  of  native  talent,  but  to  the 
following  causes. 

"  1.  He  was  remarkably  diffident  of  his  own  powers,  so  far 
as  to  be  restrained  and  embarrassed  in  his  recitations  and 
literary  performances  before  the  class  ;  and  the  same  state  of 
feeling  prevented  that  resolute,  persevering  application  neces- 
sary for  eminence. 

"  2.  The  state  of  his  health  through  a  part  of  the  year, 
when  he  roomed  with  me,  was  much  impaired,  and  in  con- 
nection with  this,  he  passed  through  a  protracted  season  of 
deep  mental  anxiety  and  depression  in  the  spring  of  1808,  in 
which  he  greatly  questioned  the  genuineness  of  his  christian 
experience.  So  severe  were  his  mental  trials  of  this  nature, 
as  to  unfit  him  for  study,  for  some  time,  and  he  was  excused 
and  permitted  to  return  home,  on  account  of  the  state  of  his 
health.  Before  returning  home,  he  was  wont  to  repair  to  the 
President  for  instruction  and  counsel,  and  he  directed  him 
to  the  perusal  of  Edwards  on  Religious  Affections,  and  loan- 
ed him  also,  his  manuscript  sermons  on  the  Evidences  of  Re- 
generation. With  them  he  went  into  the  most  intensely  ear- 
nest and  sifting  self-examination  that  I  ever  witnessed,  and  in 
the  course  of  it,  he  passed  through  such  agony  of  spirit,  as 
was  suited  to  awaken  the  liveliest  sympathy  in  those  who 
could  -best  understand  and  appreciate  the  nature  of  his  dis- 
tress. The  all-absorbing  question  resting  on  his  mind  by  day 
and  by  night,  mingled  with  many  sighs,  tears  and  groans, 
was,  am  I  a  child  of  God  ?  Before  the  next  term  he  gained 
peace,  and  enjoyed  a  better  state  of  health  ;  but  it  is  evident, 


DR.    NETTLETON.  31 

that  this  interruption  of  his  progress  in  regular  study,  had 
a  retarding  effect  upon  his  scholarship,  though  it  may  have 
had  a  momentous  influence  in  giving  him  uncommon  spiritual 
discernment,  and  in  fitting  him  for  that  sphere  of  distinguish- 
ed usefulness  on  which  he  afterwards  entered. 

"  3.  The  peculiar  taste  and  tendencies  of  Nettlcton's  mind, 
led  him  to  bestow  his  intellectual  energies,  not  upon  physical 
sciences,  and  elegant  literature,  but  upon  those  subjects  in 
mental  and  moral  philosophy,  which  stood  most  closely  con- 
nected with  the  truths  of  theology.  In  topics  of  this  nature, 
he  ever  manifested  an  uncommon  interest,  and  quickness  of 
thought,  with  clearness  of  perception  and  power  of  discrim- 
ination. It  was  evidently  a  favorite  employment  to  engage  in 
friendly  discussions  upon  such  themes,  with  those  who  were 
disposed  to  investigate  them ;  particularly  with  students  in 
theology  then  residing  at  Yale  College.  At  such  times,  his 
countenance,  though  not  specially  expressive  in  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, would  light  up  with  animation,  and  his  eye 
sparkle  with  brilliance,  plainly  indicating  that  then  his  mind 
was  in  its  chosen  element.  In  whatever  enlisted  his  feelings, 
he  was  manifestly  capable  of  close  and  successful  investiga- 
tion. But  aiming. at  a  higher  mark  than  mere  literary  or 
scientific  distinction,  he  sought  to  furnish  his  mind  with  that 
knowledge  which  relates  directly  to  the  great  ends  of  human 
existence,  the  present  and  immortal  interests  of  the  soul. 
During  his  last  year  in  college,  he  roomed  with  his  beloved 
christian  brother,  Philander  Parmele,  and  it  is  my  impres- 
sion, that  with  him,  he  devoted  what  time  could  be  spared 
from  customary  classical  studies,  to  the  study  of  theology. 
In  the  exercises  of  the  class  he  took  a  higher  rank  than  in 
the  preceding  year,  and  acquitted  himself  with  respectability. 
With  these  statements,  however,  truth  compels  me  to  admit, 
that  I  had  not  then  discovered  in  him  any  such  traits  of  intel- 
lectual character  as  led  to  anticipations  in  any  measure  corres- 


32  MEMOIR    OF 

pondent  with  the  well  known   facts  of  his   subsequent  his- 
tory.* 

';  Xettleton  was  held  in  respect  by  all  in  college,  but  pecu- 
liarly loved,  and  highly  esteemed  by  christian  professors. 
His  spirit  was  excellent,  and  his  example  unexceptionable. 
If  any  affected  to  look  superciliously  upon  him,  on  account  of 
the  plainness  and  simplicity  of  his  manners,  they  knew  and 
felt  his  superior  moral  worth.  He  was  a  vigilant  observer  of 
the  indications  of  religious  seriousness  and  anxietv  among  the 
students,  and  took  the  earliest  and  liveliest  interest  in  all  such 
cases.  Burdened  as  I  myself  was,  with  the  danger  and  mis- 
ery of  my  impenitent  state,  in  the  forepart  of  the  year,  when 
I  roomed  with  him,  he  was  not  slow  to  discover  the  fact, 
though  not  officious  to  insist  upon  a  disclosure  of  my  feelings. 
As  he  was  a  professor  of  religion,  I  proposed,  soon  after  he 
became  my  room-mate,  to  unite  with  him  in  prayer,  after  the 
close  of  the  studies  of  each  evening,  expecting  only  to  read 
the  scriptures  as  my  part  of  the  exercise.  He  agreed  to  pray, 
if  I  also  would.  Fearing  to  decline,  though  trembling  at  the 
solemnity  of  such  an  engagement,  I  felt  necessitated  by  my 
conscience  to  comply  with  the  condition,  and  take  my  turn  in 
prayer,  and  it  was  thus  that  I  was  first  led  to  utter  the  words 
of  supplication  in  the  audience  of  any  human  being.  It  was 
a  mighty  effort,  and  made  with  faltering  tongue  and  aching 
heart.  He  found  that  I  had  gone  farther  than  he  expected, 
and  afterwards  once  asked  me,  if  I  considered  myself  a 
Christian,  and  upon  my  replying  no,  he  inquired,  why  then  do 
you  pray?  His  object  I  have  supposed,  was  to  deepen  my 
conviction  of  guilt,  and  it  had  that  effect.  To  my  answer,  I 
feel  it  my  duty  to  pray,  he  added  no  remark,  discovering  prob- 
ably, that  my  wretched  prayers  gave  me  no  comfort,  but  in- 
creased the  heavy  burden  pressing  upon   my  heart.     More 


*  President  Dwight  is  reported  to  have  said  of  Ncttleton,  while  a  member  of 
College,  "  He  will  make  one  of  the  most  useful  men  this  country  has  ever 
seen."     This  is  one  among  many  instances  of  the  sagacity  of  that  great  man. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  33 

than  once,  after  these  seasons,  when  I  have  been  weeping 
over  my  lost  condition,  that  kind  friend  has  approached  my 
pillow  upon  retiring  to  his  own  bed,  and  has  gently  endeavor- 
ed to  elicit  an  expression  of  my  feelings.  When  seeing  me 
afraid  to  disclose  my  state  of  mind,  he  has  withdrawn,  some- 
times as  I  have  reason  to  believe,  to  unite  with  some  chris- 
tian brother  in  prayer,  on  my  behalf,  and  thus  committed  my 
case  and  that  of  others,  to  that  God  who  had  taken  me  in 
hand,  and  who  alone  could  renew  my  heart. 

"At  this  time,  in  the  winter  of  1807-8,  a  revival  of  religion 
began  in  New  Haven,  and  in  Yale  College.  The  first  subjects 
of  it  among  the  students  were  in  the  Freshman  class.  Net- 
tleton  was  no  indifferent  spectator,  but  among  the  first  to  dis- 
cover indications  of  special  religious  impressions,  and  to  seek 
out  persons  in  a  state  of  religious  anxiety.  Then,  contrary  to 
what  I  had  before  witnessed  of  intimacy  between  the  upper 
and  lower  classes,  often  did  I  see  him  with  one  or  two  heart- 
burdened  youth  of  the  youngest  class,  walking  arm  in  arm  in 
the  college  yard,  before  evening  prayers,  conversing  upon  the 
great  interests  of  the  soul.  I  observed  that  so  soon  as  he 
became  acquainted  with  a  student  under  religious  impressions, 
his  company  and  counsel  were  sought  and  greatly  prized  ; 
and  it  was  manifest  that  his  conversation  with  such  individ- 
uals, his  silent  and  unostentatious  labors,  in  connection  with 
his  christian  brethren  in  their  meeting  for  prayer  and  confer- 
ence, held  a  very  prominent  and  important  place  in  that  mem- 
orable and  joyful  season.  His  feelings  were  most  deeply 
interested  in  the  whole  progress  of  the  revival,  and  it  seemed 
afcnost  to  absorb  his  mind  by  day  and  by  night." 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  statement,  a  few  other  facts 
connected  with  the  history  of  his  college  life,  will  now  be 
mentioned. 

In  the  American  Quarterly  Register  for  February,  1838, 
there  is  a  history  of  revivals  in  Yale  College.     On  page  299, 


34  MEMOIR     OP 

in  the  account  of  the  revival  in  1808,  is  the  following 
statement. 

"  There  was  one  case  in  this  revival,  which  awakened  very- 
general  sympathy,  and  to  which  I  shall  advert  for  a  moment, 
because  it  shows  how  God  sometimes  makes  use  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  one,  to  subdue  the  obstinacy  of  another.  A  member 
of  one  of  the  lower  classes,  became  deeply  anxious  for  his 
spiritual  welfare,  at  the  commencement  of  the  seriousness. 
He  was,  indeed,  the  first  person  in  college,  probably,  who 
was  under  conviction  of  sin.  As  the  work  went  on,  others 
who  were  awakened  at  a  much  later  period,  were  apparently 
brought  into  the  kingdom,  and  were  rejoicing  in  hope,  while 
he  was  left  in  the  bitterness  of  despair,  with  the  arrows  of  the 
Almighty  drinking  up  his  spirit.  His  health  rapidly  declined 
under  his  sufferings.  He  was  confined  in  a  great  measure 
to  his  bed  ;  and  it  was  feared  that,  with  a  feeble  constitution, 
he  must  soon  sink  under  the  weight  of  his  distress,  unless 
relief  should  be  obtained.  In  an  adjoining  room  there  lived 
an  avowed  disbeliever  in  spiritual  religion,  who  denied  the 
reality  of  a  divine  influence  in  revivals,  and  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  work,  had  regarded  those  who  were 
concerned  in  it  with  scorn.  A  christian  friend,  who  knew 
his  sentiments,  asked  him  to  visit  the  sufferer,  and  led  him 
toward  the  bed-side.  He  stood  for  a  moment  looking  at  the 
emaciated  form  before  him,  he  listened  to  the  exclamations 
which  told  the  distress  and  horror  of  an  awakened  conscience, 
and  then  turning,  went  back  to  his  room,  to  weep  there  under 
a  sense  of  his  own  sin.  Not  long  after,  to  the  wonder  of  all 
his  companions,  it  was  said  of  him,  as  of  Saul  of  Tarsj,^, 
'  Behold  he  prayeth.'  He  became  at  once,  a  decided  and  ex- 
emplary christian.  He  afterwards  entered  into  the  ministry, 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  cause  of  missions  ;  and  has  been 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  an  active  and  successful  laborer 
upon  heathen  ground." 

The  reader  may  be  interested  to  learn  the  issue  of  those 


DR.     NETTLETON.  35 

sufferings  which  led  to  this  happy  result.  I  shall  give  the 
relation  in  the  words  of  one  who  is  best  able  to  speak  on  this 
subject.  It  was  just  at  the  close  of  the  term  and  late  at  night. 
"  A  few  christian  friends  lingered  about  the  bed  of  the  agoni- 
zed and  despairing  sinner ;  and  many  were  the  prayers 
offered,  that  the  balm  of  Gilead  might  be  applied  to  his  woun- 
ded spirit.  At  length  a  messenger  was  dispatched  to  summon 
the  President,  as  it  seemed  to  those  in  attendance,  that  unless 
relief  were  had,  death  must  close  the  scene.  The  hour  was 
late — but  he  promptly  attended  the  call,  and  came  emphati- 
cally, as  one  sent  of  God,  as  the  bearer  of  good  tidings  of 
great  joy.  For  a  short  time  he  seemed  overwhelmed  ;  so 
deeply  did  he  share  in  the  agony  of  the  agonized.  At  length, 
however,  taking  a  seat  by  the  bed-side,  he  gradually  directed 
the  anxious  inquirer  unto  the  divine  sufficiency,  the  infinite 
fullness  of  the  Lord  Jesus — recited  the  invitations  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  then  followed  his  paternal  counsel  by  prayer  to  God. 
That  prayer,  it  is  believed,  was  heard,  and  the  words  which 
he  spake  were  a  healing  balm  from  on  high.  A  sweet  seren- 
ity seemed  to  steal  over  the  agitated  sinner's  mind — a  serenity 
which  was  the  harbinger  of  a  joy  that  came  in  a  short  time 
after,  and  was  '  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.'  " 

In  a  letter  from  the  individual  whose  case  is  described  in 
the  foregoing  statement,  he  says,  "  the  christian  friend"  there 

mentioned,  "  was  Mr.  Nettleton.     The  infidel  was  Mr, , 

[now  a  missionary  of  the  American  Board.]  The  messen- 
ger who  went  for  President  D wight,  was  Mr.  Nettleton.  He 
remained  with  me  all  night.  He  was  besieging  the  throne 
of  grace.  His  whole  soul  seemed  bent  on  my  deliverance. 
Man  never  pleaded  with  more  fervency,  and  I  cannot  doubt 
that  I  was  more  indebted  to  him  for  my  relief  than  to  any 
other  person.  He  took  such  an  interest  in  my  salvation,  as 
evinced  the  deepest  love  for  my  soul.  I  think  he  was  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion  before  he  entered  college.  What  was  the 
character  of  his  piety  up  to  the  spring  of  1 808,  of  course,  I 


36  MEMOIR     OF 

know  not.  But  I  well  recollect  that  soon  after  I  was  brought 
under  conviction,  he  found  me  out,  and  became  one  of  my 
spiritual  guides.  I  am  not  quite  certain,  whether  his  exer- 
cises which  I  am  about  to  mention,  existed  in  the  earlier  part 
of  the  revival,  or  a  little  later.  My  impression  is,  that  the 
revival  found  him,  in  common  with  other  professors,  compar- 
atively asleep.  But  he  was  soon  enlisted,  and  evinced  great 
interest  in  the  work.  In  a  little  time,  however,  he  fell  into  a 
melancholy  and  desponding  state,  which  at  length  bordered 
upon  despair.  He  gave  up  his  hope  and  to  me  appeared  to 
be  a  most  miserable  man.  I  have  known  him  to  weep,  I  may 
say,  by  the  hour,  under  an  overwhelming  sense  of  his  vile- 
ness.  He  would  often  say,  '  I  seem  to  love  christians,  but  I 
am  so  unworthy — I  hope  they  will  not  cast  me  off — do  you 
think  they  will  allow  such  a  poor  sinner  as  I  am  to  keep  com- 
pany with  them  ? '  Whatever  peculiarity  there  was  in  his 
case,  (and  I  think  his  exercises  were  singular,)  here  was  in- 
volved in  it  a  deep  conviction  of  sin — such  a  loathing  of  him- 
self, as  I  scarcely  remember  to  have  heard  any  other  man 
express.  It  was  difficult  to  convince  him  that  God  could  have 
mercy  on  one  so  vile.  Yet  he  was  all  this  time  manifesting 
a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  Christ  and  the  salvation  of 
souls." 

The  mind  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  as  is  hinted  by  Mr.  Lee,  was 
much  turned  to  theological  studies,  during  his  collegiate 
course.  Theology  indeed,  had  been  his  favorite  study,  ever 
since  his  attention  was  turned  to  the  subject  of  religion.  Even 
before  he  entered  college,  he  had  read  with  attention  a  large 
part  of  the  writings  of  Edwards,  Hopkins,  and  Bellamy ;  and 
before  he  graduated,  he  was  better  acquainted  with  systematic 
theology,  than  many  young  men  are,  who  are  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  doctrinal  dis- 
cussions, and  ably  vindicated  the  doctrines  of  grace,  against 
the  objections  which  were  urged  against  them.  During  his 
senior  year,  there  was  much  discussion  among  the  professors 


DR.     NETTLETON.  o< 

of  religion,  and  theological  students  in  college,  respecting  the 
means  of  grace.  This  was  occasioned  by  the  sermons  which 
were  preached  at  that  time  by  President  Dwight  on  that  sub- 
ject, and  which  ai  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his 
theological  discourses.  In  th  mons,  the  idea  is  advan- 
ced, that  the  prayers  and  strivings  of  awakened  sinners, 
although  they  possess  no  moral  goodness,  are  not  to  be  regard- 
ed, in  all  cases,  as  positively  sinful.* 

Mr.  Nettleton  entertained  a  high  respect  for  Dr.  Dwight. 
On  almost  all  subjects,  he  received  his  views  without  hesita- 
tion, and  considered  it  a  great  privilege  to  sit  under  his  in- 
structive preaching.  But  on  this  point  he  differed  from  him, 
as  did  also  a  large  part  of  the  pious  students  in  college.  He 
believed  with  Hopkins,  and  the  New  England  divines  gen- 
erally, that  sinners,  properly  speaking,  never  use,  but  always 
abuse  the  means  of  grace — that  in  all  their  efforts  to  escape 
future  misery,  and  secure  future  happiness,  they  are  influenced 
by  unholy  motives,  and  that  their  religious  services  are  mer- 
cenary and  sinful.  In  this  opinion,  which,  appeared  to  linn 
to  be  clearly  taught  in  the  scriptures,  he  was  greatly  confirmed 
by  his  own  religious  experience.     While  under  conviction  of 

*  The  following  is  an  extract  from  one  of  these  sermons. 

"To  ask  of  God  for  happiness  and  final  safety,  is  not  necessarily  insincere, 
nor  guilty,  even  in  sinners.  When  sinners  ask  for  mere  mercy,  or  mere  hap- 
piness, or  mere  safety,  they  may  desi:e  either  as  truly  as  saints  ;  although  their 
desires  are  not  virtuous.  So  far  as  their  desires  are  merely  natural,  insepara- 
ble from  their  nature,  and  sincere,  they  are  not  morally  wrong;  nor  are  they 
exhibited  in  the  scriptures,  as  objects  of  divine  anger.  Accordingly  the  prayer 
of  the  publican,  who  was,  I  think,  plainly  a  sinner,  was  not  regarded  with  mere 
angerby  God  ;  arid   was  exactly  such  a  prayer  as  1  havi  d  ;  n  prayer 

for  mere  mercy  and  safety.     He  went  down  to  his  hovsi  ither  than  the 

Pharisee,  because  he  had  in  some  important  respects,  a  just  sense  of  his  char- 
acter, and  a  sincere  desire  to  be  delivered  from  the  dangers  of  it,  while  the 
Pharisee  had  neither." 

[Few  orthodox  men  would  probably  agree  with  Dr.  Dwight  in  supposing  the 
publican  to  represent  an  unrenewed  sinner.  He  has  been  generally  regarded 
as  a  striking  example  of  genuine  repentance.] 


38  M  E  M  O  I  R     OF 

sin,  he  had  such  discoveries  of  his  own  heart,  as  to  impress 
indelibly  upon  his  mind,  a  conviction  of  the  entire  sinfulness 
of  the  religious  services  of  unrenewed  men.  There  was  no 
one  point  in  theology,  on  which  his  mind  was  more  fully  es- 
tablished than  this  ;  or  on  which  he  more  strenuously  insisted, 
during  his  life,  both  in  the  pulpit,  and  in  his  conversation  with 
awakened  sinners.  He  considered  it  a  point  of  great  practical 
importance,  and  particularly  useful  in  destroying  the  self- 
righteous  hopes  of  sinners,  and  in  showing  them  their  utterly 
lost  condition,  and  entire  dependence  on  the  grace  of  God. 
This  was  a  weapon  which  he  wielded  with  great  power,  and 
which  seemed  to  be  in  his  hands,  pre-eminently  the  Sword  of 
the  Spirit. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  written  to  his  friend  Par- 
mele,  soon  after  he  graduated,  will  show,  not  only  what  were 
his  views  on  this  subject  at  that  period,  but  also  how  capable 
he  was  of  defending  them. 

"  With  respect  to  the  works  of  the  unregenerate — of  those 
especially  who  think  they  understand  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ,  I  would  answer  a  few  things.  My  friend,  you  know 
there  are  various  ways  (if  I  may  so  speak,)  of  painting  truth 
to  the  understanding.  The  actions  of  the  body  in  the  first 
place,  are  neither  good  nor  bad  in  themselves,  any  more  than 
the  rustling  of  a  leaf  or  the  motions  of  any  other  matter. 
What  then  ?  Why  the  motions  or  operations  of  the  heart  are 
the  only  good  or  bad  actions  in  the  sight  of  God.  God  looks 
on  the  heart,  And  it  is  impossible  that  any  thing  should  be 
morally  good  or  bad  in  any  other  sense  than  as  God  regards 
it.  True,  men  may  call  all  manner  of  wickedness,  good  ;  but 
does  giving  it  the  name,  by  any  wonderful  process  infuse  into 
it  the  nature  of  good  ?  If  not,  then  let  us  inquire  what  God 
calls  good,  and  what  evil.  Now  I  can  conceive  of  only  three 
states  in  which  it  is  possible  for  the  mind  to  be,  in  respect  to 
any  object — Love,  Hatred  or  Indifference.  Now  these  are 
not  nice  distinctions — finely  spun  out — they  are  distinctions 


DR.     NETTLETON.  39 

which  we  must  understand,  or  we  cannot  know  what  is  good, 
or  what  is  evil  in  a  moral  sense.  Love,  hatred^  or  indiffer- 
ence to  God  as  the  object,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  in 
ways  unnumbered,  are  the  only  possible  ways  of  sinning,  or 
doin«-  moral  <rood. 

O  O 

"  1.  Do  unregenerate  men  love  God?  If  so,  then  reason 
says  there  is  no  regeneration.  '  Every  one  that  lovcth  is  born 
of  God.'  '  God  is  love,  and  he  that  dwelleth  in  love  dwell- 
eth  in  God  and  God  in  him.'  It  is  intuitively  evident,  then, 
that  if  all  who  love  God  are  regenerated,  or  born  of  God,  all 
who  are  not  born  of  God,  do  not  love  him.  Besides,  all  who 
are  not  born  of  God,  the  scriptures  say,  are  in  the  flesh. 
'  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is 
born  of  the  spirit,  is  spirit.'  '  They  that  are  in  the  flesh,'  or 
are  not  born  of  the  spirit,  the  Apostle  says  '  cannot  please 
God.'  I  would  ask  then,  for  an  answer  to  this  plain  question, 
can  he  who  cannot  please  Go'l,  do  anything  acceptable  to  him  ? 
Or  docs  God  require  him  to  do  what  is  not  acceptable  to  him  ? 
Should  it  be  said,  it  may  be  accepted  on  account  of  the  merits 
of  Christ ;  I  would  answer,  what  have  those  to  do  with  the 
merits  of  Christ,  or  even  the  name  of  Christ,  who  reject  him, 
and  who  '  will  not  come  unto  him  ?  ' — -who  are,  the  very  mo- 
ment when  they  pray,  in  heart  his  betrayers  and  murderers ! 
But  it  will  be  said,  although  they  are  not  regenerate,  yet  they 
are  well-wishers, — they  are  seeking  earnestly  to  become  chris- 
tians— they  know  that  without  Christ  they  must  forever  perish ; 
it  would  therefore,  not  only  be  cruel,  but  very  unjust  to  give 
them  the  lie,  by  telling  them  they  reject  Christ  and  are  his 
enemies.  Let  Christ  answer.  '  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is 
against  me.'  And  besides,  that  they  are  not  regarded  for 
their  own  doings,  nor  their  doings  on  account  of  the  merits  of 
Christ,  is  evident ;  for  it  would  be  as  much  inconsistent  with 
the  moral  perfections  of  God,  to  regard  the  doings  of  the  un- 
regenerate, as  it  would  be  if  Christ  had  never  died.     It  is  the 


40  MEMOIR    OF 

same  thing  with  regard  to  the  unregenerate,   while  they  re- 
main  thus,  as  if  Christ  had  never  died. 

"  If  then,  nothing  is  done  acceptable  to  God  where  love  is 
absent,  it  needs  no  proof  to  show  that  what  is  done  in  the 
exercise  of  hatred,  or  in  indifference,  is  neither  acceptable 
nor  required.  But  to  leave  this  mode  of  reasoning,  whence 
is  it  that  those  who  have  good  evidence  that  they  are  born 
again,  and  enjoy  the  consolations  of  the  divine  spirit,  renounce 
the  opinion  against  which  I  am  now  contending,  and  begin  to 
adopt  the  very  language  of  the  blind  man  when  restored  to 
sight,  '  now  we  know  that  God  heareth  not  sinners  V 

"  But  the  reason  why  the  genuine  gospel  is  not  received  by 
the  unrenewed  is  as  plain  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens.  You 
remember  what  it  is,  that  'is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  be.'  The  genuine  gospel  has  ever  been 
considered  an  insult  to  the  public  taste.  I  care  not  for  cor- 
rectness of  sentiment — for  natural  amiableness  or  suavity  of 
disposition,  and  for  the  whole  host  of  natural  affections — 
wherever  the  true  gospel  comes — wherever  it  is  explained 
and  understood,  if  it  be  not  cordially  received  and  embraced, 
it  will  assuredly  awaken  disgust  and  provoke  abhorrence. 
Nor  can  it  be  otherwise  ;  for  its  principal  design  is  to  mortify 
the  pride  of  man,  and  to  display  the  glory  of  sovereign 
grace — to  level  all  human  excellence  in  the  dust,  and  to  ele- 
vate even  to  thrones  of  glory,  the  needy  and  the  wretched — 
to  reject  the  proud  and  give  grace  to  the  humble.  The  true 
gospel  pays  no  respect  to  the  academic,  because  of  his  pro- 
found learning,  nor  to  the  moralist,  on  account  of  his -upright 
conduct.  It  pays  not  the  least  regard  to  the  courtier,  because 
of  his  pompous  honors,  nor  to  the  devotee  on  account  of  his 
zeal  or  his  righteousness.  No,  the  potent  prince  and  the  ab- 
,  the  wise  philosopher,  and  the  ignorant  rustic,  the 
virtuous  lady  and  the  infamous  prostitute,  all  stand  on  the 
level  in  its  comprehensive  sight.  Its  business  is  with  the 
worthless  and  miserable  wherever  it  finds  them.     If  these  be 


DR.    NEXT  LET  ON.  41 

relieved,  its  end  is  accomplished — its  work  is  done.  To  re- 
ward these  is  its  supreme  delight.  But  the  self-sufficient  of 
every  rank,  are  treated  by  it  with  the  utmost  reserve,  and  be- 
hold by  it  with  a  constant  and  most  steady  contempt.  The 
hungry  it  filleth  with  good  things,  but  the  rich  it  sendeth  emp- 
ty away.  In  short,  all  the  fine  words  which  are  spoken — 
the  sociability  and  extreme  politeness  with  which  she  is 
treated,  and  the  high  commendations  ['  good  master,'  '  Lord, 
Lord,']  with  which  she  is  loaded  from  the  good-hearted,  well- 
wishing  world,  can  never  provoke  her  stern  and  angry  counte- 
nance into  a  smile,  or  a  single  look  of  complacency.  But  on 
the  truly  contrite,  she  looks  with  a  cheering  smile  and  a  heav- 
enly countenance,  to  revive  and  cheer  the  drooping  heart  of 
the  contrite  ones.  O,  glorious  gospel,  heavenly  messenger  of 
good  tidings  !  Welcome  sweet  messenger  of  peace  !  Friend, 
I  believe  that  the  Christian  who  sees  his  own  heart  in  the 
light  of  the  gospel,  is  really  and  heartily  ashamed  of  his  very 
best  performances.  Grace  hath  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
sinner's  hope.  Grace  erects  the  building,  and  the  head  stone 
thereof  shall  be  brought  forth  with  shoutings,  crying  grace, 
grace  unto  it." 

During  his  junior  year  in  college,  he  became  acquainted 
with  Samuel  J.  Mills.  This  was  brought  about  in  the  follow- 
ing manner.  Simeon  Woodruff,  a  classmate  and  intimate 
friend  of  Nettleton,  happened  one  vacation  to  fall  in  company 
with  Mills,  and  heard  him  converse  on  the  subject  of  missions, 
and  his  plans  of  life.  "  You  talk,"  said  Woodruff',  "just  like 
one  of  my  classmates.  He  says,  he  intends  never  to  be  set- 
tled, but  to  be  a  missionary  to  the  heathen."  Mills  was  so 
much  interested  in  this  intelligence,  that  he  took  a  journey  to 
New  Haven,  on  purpose  to  become  acquainted  with  Nettleton. 
They  spent  much  time  in  consultation,  and  were  happy  to  find 
a  perfect  coincidence  of  views  on  the  subject  of  missions. 
Mills  informed  him  of  Hall,  and  others  of  his  acquaintance, 
who  entertained  similar  views.  The  next  year,  Mills  having 
4* 


42  MEMOIR    OP 

graduated  at  Williams'  College,  spent  a  few  months  as  a  resi- 
dent graduate  at  Yale.  "  His  ostensible  object,"  says  his 
biographer,  "  was  the  study  of  theology;  but  his  real  object 
was  to  ascertain  whether  there  were  not  some  kindred  spirits 
in  this  Institution,  who  could  be  excited  and  encouraged  in 
this  glorious  enterprise."  It  was  not,  perhaps,  known  to  his 
biographer,  that  there  was  one  kindred  spirit  in  that  Institu- 
tion, with  whom  he  had  already  become  acquainted,  and  with 
whom  he  wished  to  hold  further  intercourse.  He  and  Nettle- 
ton  conferred  much  on  the  subject,  and  entered  into  an  agree- 
ment to  avoid  all  entangling  alliances,  and  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  go  to  the  heathen,  whenever  God,  in  bis  Prov- 
idence should  prepare  the  way.  They  also  formed  the  pur- 
pose of  meeting  the  next  year  at  Andover,  and  while  pursuing 
their  theological  studies,  to  mature  their  plans  of  future  ac- 
tion. This  purpose,  Mr.  Nettleton  found  himself  under  the 
painful  necessity  of  abandoning,  on  account  of  a  debt  which 
he  had  contracted  while  obtaining  his  education  ;  and  which 
he  wished  to  discharge,  as  soon  as  possible.  Both  he  and 
Mills,  felt  the  disappointment  deeply.  Mills  advised  him  to 
make  application  to  some  friends  to  liquidate  the  debt  for 
him  ;  but  this  he  was  unwilling  to  do  ;  and  soon  after  he  grad- 
uated, at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Dr.  Dvvight,  he  accepted 
the  office  of  Butler  in  college.  This  office  he  held  nearly  a 
year,  devoting  what  leisure  time  he  could  command,  to  theo- 
logical studies.  He  then  repaired  to  Milford,  and  put  himself 
under  the  instruction  of  the  Rev.  Bezaleel  Pinneo,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  he  received  license  to  preach  the 
gospel. 

Mr.  Pinneo,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  thus  speaks  of  him. 

"  I  have  no  recollection  of  noticing  any  thing  extraordinary 
in  respect  to  his  piety.  I  had  been  acquainted  with  him  be- 
fore. He  was,  indeed,  while  a  member  of  College,  consider- 
ably distinguished  for  his  piety,  and  strict  orthodoxy.  He 
very  much  disliked  Dr.  Dwight's  idea  of  the  prayers  and 


DR.    NETTLETON.  43 

doings  of  the  unregenerate,  being  in  certain  cases  without  sin, 
and  of  a  mere  neutral  character.  Doctrinal  theology  was  the 
great  subject  of  his  meditation,  study  and  delight,  to  which  he 
gave  his  strength  from  the  first.  Nor  was  it  with  him  a  mat- 
ter of  dry  speculation.  His  christian  experience  grew  out  of 
a  cordial  belief  and  reception  of  these  doctrines,  and  was 
modified  by  them  ;  so  that  his  christian  character  was  uncom- 
monly mature  at  this  period,  for  one  of  his  years  ;  or  rather 
I  may  say,  for  one  who  had  been  no  longer  in  the  vineyard. 
He  was  not  born  a  sickly  puny  child,  but  of  uncommon  health 
arid  vigor,  as  appears  by  his  not  conferring  with  flesh  and 
blood,  but  devoting  himself  to  the  service  of  God,  in  its  most 
self-denying  forms  ;  resolving  by  the  will  of  God,  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  heathen  ;  a  duty,  which  at  that  time,  had  but 
just  begun  to  be  thought  of." 

Mr.  Nettleton  was  licensed  to  preach,  by  the  West  Associ- 
ation of  New  Haven  county,  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Trumbull,  in  North  Haven,  May  28th,  1811.* 

In  June,  1810,  Messrs.  Judson,  Nott,  Mills  and  Newell,  at 
that  time,  members  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover, 
presented  themselves  before  the  General  Association  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  Bradford,  and  made  known  their  convictions  of 
the  duty  and  importance  of  personally  attempting  a  mission 
to  the  heathen,  and  requested  the  advice  of  the  Association. 
This  movement,  it  is  well  known,  led  to  the  organization  of 
the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions. 
Mr.  Nettleton  was  at  this  time  Butler  in  Yale  College.  Had 
he  gone  to  Andover  after  he  graduated,  as  he  intended,  he 
would  doubtless  have  been  one  of  the  company.  When  he 
heard  what  had  been  done,  he  lamented  with  tears,  that  he 
could  not  have  been  there.  He  feared  that  it  was  an  indica- 
tion of  Providence,  that  he  was  not  to  be  permitted  to  become 
a  missionary.     His  purpose,  however,  remained  steadfast 

*He  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist,  by  the  South  Consociation  of  Litchfield 
county,  in  the  summer  of  1817. 


44  MEMOIR    OP   &C. 

The  reader  is  doubtless  anxious,  by  this  time,  to  know  why- 
Mr.  Nettleton  did  not  become  a  missionary,  as  he  intended. 
The  reasons  can  be  stated  in  few  words.  Soon  after  he  be- 
gan to  preach,  his  labors  were  crowned  with  signal  success. 
Wherever  he  went,  the  Spirit  of  God  seemed  to  accompany 
his  preaching.  His  brethren  in  the  ministry,  witnessing  the 
success  of  his  labors,  were  of  opinion  that  he  ought,  at  least, 
to  delay  the  execution  of  his  purpose  to  leave  the  country. 
In  deference  to  their  opinion,  he  consented  to  delay  ;  and  as 
his  labors  became  increasingly  successful,  his  brethren  were 
more  and  more  convinced  that  God  had  called  him  to  labor  as 
an  evangelist  at  home.  Still,  he  never  entirely  abandoned  the 
idea  of  a  foreign  mission,  until  his  health  failed  in  1822. 


CHAPTER    III. 


His  labors  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut,  where  he  obtains  a  knowledge  of  the 
measures  which  were  adopted  by  Davenport,  and  others,  in  the  great  revival  of 
1740,  and  of  their  results  in  producing  a  moral  desolation.— His  acquaintance  with 
certain  evangelists. — His  opinion  of  the  expediency  of  employing  evangelists  as 
assistants  oi  settled  pastors. 

After  receiving  license  to  preach,  Mr.  Nettleton  refused 
to  consider  himself  a  candidate  for  settlement,  because  he 
intended  and  expected  to  engage  in  the  missionary  service  as 
soon  as  the  Providence  of  God  should  prepare  the  way. 
He  chose  therefore  to  commence  his  labors  in  waste  places, 
and  in  some  the  most  desolate  parts  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
He  accordingly  went  to  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut,  on 
the  borders  of  Rhode  Island.  Here  he  preached  for  a  few 
months,  in  several  places  which  had  long  been  destitute  of 
settled  pastors,  and  which  had  been  overrun  by  fanatical  sects 
of  various  descriptions.  In  some  of  these  places,  there  had 
once  been  flourishing  churches,  with  excellent  pastors  ;  but 
they  had  been  made  desolate  more  than  half  a  century  before, 
by  the  measures  which  Davenport  and  other  evangelists  of 
that  period,  introduced.  He  became  acquainted  with  some 
aged  people,  who  gave  him  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of 
that  day,  and  of  their  results  as  they  had  been  developed  in 
the  course  of  half  a  century.  He  also  found  some  pamphlets 
and  books  from  which  he  obtained  much  important  informa- 
tion respecting  the  disorders  which  prevailed  after  the  revival 
of  1740.*     He  has"  often  spoken  with  deep  interest  of  this 

*  There  is  a  very  good  account  of  these  disorders  in  an  old  pamphlet,  con- 
taining nine  sermons  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Fish,  pastor  of  a  church  in  Stonington, 


4G  3IEMOIR    OF 

period  of  his  labors,  and  of  the  use  which  the  information  he 
at  that  time  obtained,  was  to  him  in  after  life.  He  learned 
that  those  who  labor   as  evangelists,  even  if  they  have  the 


preached  in  1763.  He  seems  to  have  been  a  sound  and  faithful  minister  of  the 
gospel.  He  was  the  pastor  of  a  large  and  flourishing  church,  which  had  shared 
richly  in  the  revival  of  1740.  But  his  parish  was  one  of  the  theatres  of  Daven- 
port's operations,  the  result  of  which  was,  as  he  informs  us  in  his  preface,  that 
not  less  than  two-thirds  of  his  congregation  withdrew  from  his  ministry,  and 
formed  themselves  into  separate  societies.  The  sermons  were  preached  twenty 
years  after  these  separations  took  place,  and  their  object  was  to  make  the  youth 
of  his  flock  acquainted  with  the  scenes  through  which  their  church  and  society 
had  passed.  As  this  pamphlet  is  but  little  known  at  the  present  day,  and  as 
the  facts  which  it  contains,  are  well  worthy  to  be  preserved,  I  have  thought  it 
might  be  useful  to  make  a  few  extracts. 

"  About  twenty-three  or  twenty-four  years  go,  there  was  the  most  wonderful 
work  of  God  that  ever  was  known  in  this  part  of  the  world,  both  for  the  extent, 
and  visible  appearance  of  it.  It  seems  there  was  a  general  thoughtfulness 
about  religion  prevailing  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  before  they  made  it  manifest 
by  word.  The  ministers  of  Christ  were  stirred  up  to  preach  with  uncommon 
zeal  and  solemnity,  and  the  people  were  as  ready  to  hear  with  unusual  attention, 
while  the  things  of  eternity  were  charged  home  to  the  conscience. 

"  The  work  went  on  gloriously.  The  standing  ministers,  (there  being  no 
other  then  in  the  land,)  became  more  abundant  and  fervent  in  their  labors,  as 
they  saw  their  people  were  attentive  to  hear.  Nor  did  they  labor  in  vain. 
Scarce  a  sermon  could  be  preached,  but  the  hearts  of  the  people,  more  or  less, 
would  be  touched,  and  some  deeply  affected.  While  we  were  thus  engaged  in 
religion,  a  new  and  surprising  scene  opened  upon  us  ;  even  such  religious  opear- 
tions  and  appearances  as  engaged  both  the  careless,  and  the  serious,  to  come  and 
see  and  hear  for  themselves.  In  these  strange  operations,  there  was  a  marvellous 
mixture  of  almost  every  thing  good  and  bad — truth  and  error,  chaff  and  wheat. 
For  while  the  spirit  of  God  wrought  powerfully,  Satan  raged  maliciously,  and 
acted  his  old  subtle  part  to  deceive.  This  happened,  or  at  least  was  carried  to 
the  highest  pitch,  under  the  preaching  and  ministrations  of  a  wonderful,  strange, 
good  man,  (the  Rev.  James  Davenport  of  Long  Island,)  who  visited  these  parts 
in  the  time  of  our  religious  concern  and  awakening;  a  young  man  of  undoubted 
real  piety,  fervent  zeal  for  God,  love  to  souls,  and  ardent  desire  to  advance  the 
Redeemer'  s  kingdom.  But,  (thus  it  was  permitted,)  a  man,  while  with  us, 
under  the  powerful  influence  of  a  false  spirit,  in  a  great  part  of  his  conduct,  as 
many  then  told  him,  and  as  he  himself  did  afterwards  acknowledge  with  deep 
abasement.  Satan  taking  the  advantage  of  his  zeal  in  religion,  transformed 
himself  into  an  angel  of  light,  and  hurried  him  into  extremes ;  yea,  artfully 
carried  him  beside  the  truth  and  duty,  and  beyond  the  bounds  of  decency.  * 
*  *  "  The  things  promoted  by  him  that  were  evidently  and  dreadfully  wrong, 
are  such  as  these.     He  not  only  gave  an  unrestrained  liberty  to  noise  and  outcry 


DR.    NETTLETON.  17 

best  intentions,  are  in  peculiar  danger  of  mistaking-  false,  for 
true  zeal ;  and  of  being  betrayed  into  great  indiscretions^  He 
learned    also,    that   the   imprudences   of  one    evangelist  may 

both  of  distress  and  joy  in  time  of  divine  service,  but  promoted  both  with  nil  his 
might.*'  *  *  *  "  Those  persons  that  passed  immediately  from  great  dis- 
tress to  great,  joy  and  delight,  (which  'tis  true,  have  their  place  in  religion,) 
after  asking  them  a  few  questions,  were  instantly  proclaimed  converts,  or  said 
to  have  come  to  Christ,  and  upon  it  the  assembly  were  told  that  a  number,  it  m  iy 
be  ten  or  fifteen  have  come  to  Christ  already,  who  will  come  next  ?  When  (I 
desire  to  speak  it  with  sorrow)  numbers  of  such  converts,  in  a  little  t  ime,  returned 
to  their  old  way  of  living — were  as  carnal,  wicked,  and  void  of  christian  expe- 
rience as  ever  they  were.  Again — He  was  a  g'reat  favorer  of  visions,  trances, 
imaginations  and  power/id  impressions  upon  the  mind  in  others,  and  made  such 
inward  feelings  the  rule  of  his  conduct  in  many  respects  ;  especially  if  the  impres- 
sion came  wifrflftearf  of  scripture,  which  he  looked  upon  to  be  opened  to  him  at 
such  a  time  and  in  such  cases,  pointing  out  his  duly  which  he  would  accord 
pursue.  Upon  such  powerful  impressions  and  openings  of  scripture,  he  went 
to  Boston,  strongly  persuaded  that  multitudes  in  that  great  city,  (to  use  his  own 
expressions,)  would  be  converted  by  his  preaching  there.  But  as  Mr.  Edwards 
rightly  observes,  such  circumstances  attending  religious  affections  are  no  sure 
sign  that  they  are  gracious  or  truly  religious.  He  was  a  great  encourager.  if  not 
the  first  setter  up  of  public  cxhorters ;  not  restricting  them  to  the  gospel  rule  or 
order  of  brotherly  exhortations;  but  encouraging  any  lively  zealous  christians,  (so 
reputed)  to  exhort  publicly,  in  full  assemblies,  with  all  the  air  and  assurance  of 
ministerial  authoritative  exhorting ;  although  they  were  exceeding  raiv  and 
unskillful  in  the  word  of  righteousness,  and  altogether  unequal  to  the  solemn 
undertaking.  However,  they  being  very  warm  and  zealous,  spake  boldly  and 
freely,  [which  qualities  of  speech,  by  the  way,  Mr.  Edwards  judiciously  observes, 
are  no  sure  signs  of  gracious,  religious  affections,]  and  so  were  highly  esteemed 
— had  in  admiration,  and  preferred  before  the  letter  learned  rabbis,  scribes,  and 
pharisees,  and  unconverted  ministers ;  which  phrases  the  good  man  would  frequently 
use  in  his  sermons,  with  such  peculiar  marks,  not  only  of  odium,  but  of  indica- 
tion,  as  served  to  beget  a  jealousy  in  many  of  the  people's  minds,  that  their 
ministers  were  the  letter-learned,  unconverted  teachers  which  he  aimed  at. 
And  thus  the  exhorters  came  into  credit  among  multitudes  of  people,  who 
chose  rather  to  hear  them  than  their  old  teachers,  which  served  directly  to  puff 
them  up  with  spiritual  pride,  and  fitted  them  for  the  daring  undertaking  Which 
followed.  By  these  means  the  standing  ministers  began  to  fall  in  their  credit 
and  esteem  among  the  people  ;  especially  among  such  as  were  reckoned  the 
foremost  christians;  many  of  whom  with  the  bloated  exhorters,  began  to  treat, 
their  ministers  with  such  assurance,  haughtiness  and  contempt  as  plainly  spoke 
their  sentiments  that  they  knew  more  and  better  how  to  teach,  than  they  ;  espe- 
cially if  the  ministers  opposed  them,  or  only  questioned  whether  they  were 
right.     And  thus  the  seeds  of  discord  and  disunion  were   sown,  and  a  founda- 


48  MEMOIR    OF 

produce  incalculable  evils  ;  evils  which  will  extend  through 
many  generations.  While  surveying  these  fields  of  moral 
desolation,  he  became  deeply  impressed  with  the  importance 


tion  laid  for  after  separations.  But  what  tended  more  effectually  than  all  thai 
has  been  said,  U>  prepare  the  way  for  separation  was  this  that  followed  :  This 
zealous  good  man,  from  a  sense  hopefully  at  first.,  of  the  eminent  danger  of  an 
unconverted  ministry,  both  to  themselves  and  the  people,  was  betrayed  by  t!,e 
false  spirit,  into  that   bold,  daring  enterprise,  of  igh  the  country  ro 

ie  all  the  ministers  in  private,  and  then  publicly  to  declare  Ins  judgment  of 
I  state.  And  this  he  did,  whenever  he  could  be  admitted  to  examine 
them.  Some  that  he  examined,  [though  for  aught  that  appeared,]  as  godly  as 
himself,  woe  pronounced  in  hi^public  prayers  immediately  after  examination, 
to  be  unconverted.  And  they  who  declared  this  design  ami  practice  of  his  to  be 
unscriptural,  and  so  refused  to  be  examined  by  him,  were  sure  to  suffer  the  same 
fate  ;  they  were  condemned  by  him  as  Christless ;  or  [whio^punounted  to  as 
much  with  the  populace,]  he  would  declare  that  he  had  reason  to  fear  they  were 
unconverted  ;  in  which  cases,  he  could  ordinarily  have  no  other  ground  or  n 
for  his  (ear,  than  that  of  their  refusing  submission  to  his  irih  ;   good 

thinking  highly  of  Mr.  Davenport,  as  though  he  was  authorized  from 
heaven  to  proceed  in  this  manner,  and  at  the  same  time,  having  great  regard  for 
•  ■.  seemed  even  as  much  concerned  lest  they  should  not  stand 
the  trial,  [v.  hen  examined,]  as  if  they  were  going  before  the  judge  of  all  the  earth. 
*     *     *      "Now  the  counsel  of  this  strange  man,  which  he  led  in  (hose 

days,  was,  [like  the  counsel  of  Ahithophel,]  as  if  a  man  had  inquired,  at  the  oracle 
of  God.  Multitudes  of  honest  good  people  believed  every  thing  that  he  said, 
and  had  such  a  veneration  for  all  that  he  did,  that  if  1  hey  could  quote  the  ivcrd  arid 
example  of  Mr.  Davenport,  'twas  enough  with  them  to  justify  any  of  the  wild, 
unscriptural  notions  and  ways  which  they  through  weakness  had  run  into.  So 
that  a  minister  could  not  gainsay  or  correct  them,  under  the  price  of  his  repu- 
tation. The  things  which  I  have  mentioned,  [to  which  many  more  might  doubt- 
less be  added,]  were  such  manifest  ekross,  that  even  the  carnal  and  ungodly 
world,  could  not  but  see  and  know  they  were  wrong.  And  so  herein  they 
agreed  with  some  judicious  good  people  and  discerning  ministers,  who  opposed 
th<  ;.i  as  such.  And  for  this  reason,  the  good  and  the  bad  were  ranked  to  • 
anil  frequently  run  upon  by  those  who  were  zealous  for  these  things,  and,  declared 
to  be  opposcrs  of  the  work  of  God,  and  on  •  ide;     i!"  that  speaks  to 

and  ear  witness  to  all,  or  the  substance  of  what   has   bi  en 
related,  is  the  more  free  in  declaring  these  things  unto  you.     *     *     *     "  Hay- 
one  on  a  year,  or  more,  [if  I  mistake  not.]  in  the  practici 
was,  by  the  gentle  treatment  and  earnest  expostulation  of  some  piou 
cious  ministers,  put  upon  serious  reflection  and  close  examination  of  his  strange 
conduct  in  the  things  which  have  been  related,  and  others  i   them. 

And  after  some  months'  deliberation,  and  earnest  seeking  to  the  Father  of  lights, 
he  was  deliberately,  clearly  and  fully  convinced  of  his  errors.     The  mask  was 


DR.    NETTLETON.  49 

of  a  settled  ministry.  He  saw  that  where  there  is  no  settled 
ministry,  the  minds  of  the  people  become  unsettled  in  regard 
to  religious  truth,  and  they  are  easily  carried  about  by  "  every 
wind  of  doctrine  ;"    that  errorists  of  every  description  come 

thrown  aside — the  delusions  of  satan  appeared  to  him  in  their  own  horrid  light ; 
and  the  dreadful  consequences  of  his  awful  mistakes,  filled  him  with  deep 
concern.  He  was  made  sensible  of  the  injury  he  had  done  to  ministers  and 
churches  ;  how  he  had  broke  the  order  of  the  gospel  by  causing  divisions  and 
offences  ;  and  on  the  whole,  that  he  had  brought  reproach  on  the  glorious  work 
of  God,  and  endangered  the  souls  of  men.  For  these  things  he  was  deeply 
abased  ;  humbled  himself  before  the  Lord,  and  lay  in  the  dust.  Hereupon  he 
returned  and  visited  many  of  the  places  where  he  had  so  grievously  erred 
and  offended,  to  see  if  he  might  by  any  means  repair  the  damage  he  had  done. 
When  he  came  to  this  town,  it  was  with  such  a  mild,  pleasant,  meek  and  humble 
spirit,  broken  and  contrite,  as  I  scarce  ever  saw  exceeded  or  even  equalled. 
He  not  only  owned  his  fault  in  private,  and  in  a  most  christian  manner  asked 
forgiveness  of  some  ministers  whom  he  had  before  treated  amiss,  but  in  a  large 
assembly,  made  a  public  recantation  of  his  errors  and  mistakes,  and  particularly 
mentioned  and  declared  against  some,  if  not  all  that  I  have  exposed  in  this  nar- 
rative, as  well  as  others  that  I  have  not  mentioned.  He  gave  a  full  and  solemn 
testimony  to  the  work  of  God  that  was  carried  on  in  the  land,  by  the  outpouring 
of  his  blessed  Spirit,  in  those  things  that  were  really  and  properly  God's  work  ; 
and  said  that  he  doubted  not  but  that  he,  though  [as  he  added]  most  unworthy, 
had  been  made  an  instrument  for  the  saving  good  of  many  souls  ;  but  he  declared 
with  all  humility  and  openness  of  heart,  that  in  many  things,  such  as  above,  he 
had  grievously  erred.  He  told  us  how  the  Lord  had  led  him  to  a  sight  of  his 
errors,  and  convinced  him  fully  that  he  had  been  under  the  powerful  influence 
of  the  false  spirit;  though  in  the  time  of  its  operation,  he  verily  thought  'twas 
the  spirit  of  God  in  a  high  degree.  Thus  the  good  man,  [no  longer  the  noisy, 
boisterous,  rash  and  censorious  Davenport,  but  the  meek,  humble,  and  yet  the 
fervent  man  of  God,]  confessed,  bewailed,  and  warned  against  the  errors  which 
he  had  unhappily  spread  and  promoted.  How  great  and  how  happy  the  change  ! 
But  how  is  he  now  received  and  hearkened  to  by  those  zealous  people,  who,  in 
the  time  of  his  wildness  and  false  zeal,  were  ready  to  adore  him  ?  Why,  verily, 
they  that  were  not  convinced  of  their  own,  and  his  former  mistakes,  were  fir 
from  being  pleased  by  his  present  conduct.  They  saw  that  he  was  turned 
against  them,  that  is,  against  some  of  their  darling  principles  and  ways,  and 
thought  that  he  was  now  become  their  enemy,  in  those  things  wherein  he  only  told 
them  the  truth.  They  now  looked  upon  him  to  be  cold,  dead  and  lifeless — that 
he  had  got  away  from  God,  and  joined  in  a  great  measure  with  the  world  of 
opposers,  and  carnal  ministers.  In  a  word,  they  were  sadly  disappointed,  sorely 
vexed,  or  disquieted  in  their  spirits,  grievously  offended,  [that  is,  numbers  of 
them]  and  on  the  whole,  they  all  rejected  his  message."  pp.  Ill — 128. 
5 


50  memoip,  or 

in  and  occupy  the  ground,  and  that  when  there  is  any  religious 
excitement  among  them,  it  is  peculiarly  liable  to  run  into  the 
wildest  fanaticism.  In  the  minds  of  a  people  thus  situated, 
religion  and  fanaticism  become  identified.  They  know  of  no 
other  kind  of  religion,  and  of  course,  they  seek  and  expect 
no  other.  He  found  that  the  churches  which  had  been  made 
desolate  by  the  labors  of  Davenport  and  his  coadjutors  half  a 
century  before,  had  remained  desolate  until  that  time — that 
there  still  existed  among  the  people,  the  most  violent  preju- 
dices against  settled  pastors,  and  all  regular  ecclesiastical 
organizations.  He  saw  that  the  same  self-righteous  and 
denunciatory  spirit  which  first  rent  and  scattered  the  churches, 
was  still  prevalent,  and  that  those  measures  which  accompany 
and  promote  fanaticism ;  such  as  calling  persons  to  the  anx- 
ious seat,  requesting  them  to  rise  to  be  prayed  for,  or  to  signify 
that  they  had  given  their  hearts  to  God  ;  encouraging  females 
to  exhort  and  pray  in  promiscuous  assemblies,  &c,  were  still 
rife  among  them.  These  measures  were  adopted  in  these 
waste  places,  not  only  by  Methodists,  Freewill  Baptists  and 
Christ -ians,  but  by  Congregationalists. 

It  is  proper  here  to  state,  that  there  were,  at  that  period, 
some  evangelists  of  our  own  denomination,  (not  unlike  some 
more  modern  evangelists,)  who  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting 
these  waste  places,  and  who  imbibed  and  encouraged  the 
spirit  above  described.  Some  of  these  evangelists  appeared 
to  be  good  men  ;  but  they  were  greatly  deficient  in  prudence, 
and  were  often  impelled  by  a  false  zeal.  They  were  usually 
found  arrayed  against  settled  pastors,  and  their  influence  went 
to  promote  the  interests  of  the  fanatical  sects,  with  which 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  co-operating  in  their  religious  meet- 
These  evangelists,  and  those  with  whom  they  associa- 
te.!, perceiving  that  Mr.  Nettleton  was  a  young  man  of  zeal, 
took  great  pains  to  draw  him  into  their  views,  and  to  infuse 
into  his  mind  prejudices  against  settled  pastors,  by  insinuating 
tint  tliov  were  enemies  to  revivals,  and  thus  to  secure  his  co- 


D  R .     N  E  T  T  L  E  T  O  N  .  5  i 

operation  in  their  radical  movements.  But  he  at  once  per- 
ceived, that  they  were  actuated  by  a  wrong  spirit,  and  that  the 
course  which  they  were  pursuing,  was  adapted  not  to  pro- 
mote, but  to  injure  the  cause  of  religion.  He  saw  that  the 
whole  weight  of  their  influence  was  employed  to  increase  and 
perpetuate  the  prejudices  of  the  people  against  sound  doc- 
trine, and  ecclesiastical  order  ;  and  that  so  far  from  repair- 
ing the  wastes  of  Zion,  they  were  only  making  them  more 
desolate. 

The  knowledge  which  he  obtained  while  laboring  in  this 
region,  led  him  to  entertain  great  respect  for  the  pastoral 
office.  He  was  convinced  that  without  a  settled  ministry, 
there  could  be  no  rational  prospect  of  building  up  churches, 
or  of  enjoying  genuine  revivals  of  religion  ;  that  flocks  scat- 
tered upon  the  mountains  with  no  faithful  shepherd  to  watch 
and  feed  them,  would  become  the  prey  of  "  ravening  wolves." 
He  became  also  convinced  that  a  tremendous  responsibility 
rests  upon  those  who  labor  as  evangelists  ;  and  that  it  is  their 
duty  not  to  weaken  the  hands  of  settled  pastors,  but  to  do  all 
in  their  power  to  strengthen  them.  This  lesson  was  of  im- 
mense importance  to  him,  in  preparing  him  for  that  course  of 
labor  to  which  he  was  destined  ;  and  it  is  doubtless  one  reason 
why  he  was  enabled  to  shun  those  indiscretions  into  which 
most  evangelists  have  fallen. 

We  have  seen  how  Mr.  Nettleton  came  to  be  an  evangel- 
ist. His  brethren  persuaded  him  to  relinquish  for  a  season 
his  favorite  and  long  cherished  purpose  of  becoming  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  heathen  ;  and  the  time  never  came,  while  he 
had  health  and  strength  to  labor  as  an  evangelist,  when  they 
thought  it  would  be  right  for  him  to  relinquish  an  employ- 
ment in  which  God  was  favoring  him  with  such  signal  suc- 
cess. While  engaged  in  this  employment,  it  was  his  desire 
to  confine  his  labors  to  waste  places,  and  destitute  congrega- 
tions ;  and  it  was  not  without  great  reluctance,  and  much 
solicitation,  that  he  consented  to  labor  as  an  assistant  to  set- 


52  H  EMOIR     O  F 

tied  pastors,  lie  was  never  complained  of  for  thrusting  him- 
self into  parishes  where  his  assistance  was  not  desired  ;  but 
the  complaint  continually  was,  that  it  was  so  difficult  to  obtain 
him.  The  late  Dr.  Porter  of  Andover,  thus  speaks  of  him  in 
his  letters  on  revivals. 

11  About  the  close  of  the  period  which  I  attempted  to  de- 
scribe in  former  letters,  the  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton  devoted 
himself  to  the  work  of  an  evangelist.  With  his  eminent 
qualifications  for  this  work,  and  usefulness  in  it,  I  presume 
you  are  well  acquainted.  The  fact,  however,  which  it  is 
especially  to  my  present  purpose  to  mention,  and  which  prob- 
ably many  of  you  do  not  know,  is,  that  this  distinguished  itin- 
erant found  no  difficulty  to  labor  with  stated  pastors  without 
making  himself  their  rival.  If,  in  any  instance,  he  could  not 
conscientiously  coincide  in  the  views,  or  co-operate  in  the 
measures  of  a  pastor,  among  whose  charge  he  was  invited  to 
labor,  he  did  not  sow  dissension  in  that  church,  nor  seek  to 
detach  their  affections  from  their  minister,  but  quietly  with- 
drew to  another  place.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  visits 
of  this  devoted  servant  of  Christ,  were  always  sought,  and  never 
dreaded,  nor  regretted  by  ministers  or  churches." 

An  instance,  probably,  cannot  be  mentioned,  in  which  the 
influence  of  Mr.  Nettleton  led  to  the  dismission  of  a  pastor  ; 
but  many  instances  might  be  mentioned,  in  which  he  was 
instrumental  in  strengthening  the  hands  of  pastors.  He  would 
treat  ministers  with  such  kindness,  and  speak  of  them  with 
such  respect,  as  to  make  the  impression  on  the  minds  of  their 
people,  that  they  were  worthy  of  their  confidence  ;  and  thus 
not  a  few,  who  haci  almost  lost  their  influence,  were  firmly 
reinstated  in  the  affections  of  their  people.  In  this  way  he 
exhibited  great  wisdom  ;  and  when  in  connection  with  this 
fact,  we  take  into  consideration  the  success  of  his  labors,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  his  visits  were  so  highly  prized  by  minis- 
ters and  churches. 

Having  already  somewhat  anticipated  the  course  of  events, 


DR.    NETTLETON.  53 

it  may  not,  perhaps,  be  improper  to  mention  in  this  place,  that 
although  the  labors  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  as  an  evangelist,  were 
instrumental  of  such  abounding  good,  unmingled,  so  far  as 
could  be  seen,  with  any  evil ;  yet  he  himself  became  convin- 
ced that  it  would  be  unwise  for  the  churches  to  adopt  the 
system  of  supporting  an  order  of  evangelists,  as  assistants  to 
settled  pastors.  He  remembered  what  he  had  learned  re- 
specting the  operations  of  Davenport  and  their  results  ;  also 
the  false  zeal,  and  improper  spirit  manifested  by  certain  itin- 
erants with  whom  he  became  acquainted  when  he  began  to 
preach  ;  and  in  addition  to  these  things,  he  found  that  certain 
zealous  young  men  were  coming  forward  every  year  as  evan- 
gelists, who  by  rashness  and  imprudence,  were  doing  injury 
to  the  cause  of  religion.  These  things  convinced  him  that 
if  this  description  of  laborers  were  systematically  employed, 
more  evil  than  good  might  confidently  be  expected  as  the 
result. 

He  has  often  been  heard  to  say,  that  a  few  men  might  be 
very  usefully  employed  as  evangelists,  if  we  could  be  sure  of 
obtaining  men  of  the  right  character — men  of  discretion,  who 
would  co-operate  with  settled  pastors,  and  aid  them  in  putting- 
down  irregularities,  and  promoting  order.  But  believing  that 
most  who  engage  in  this  service,  would  be  men  of  a  different 
character,  he  discouraged  the  idea  of  bringing  forward  and 
supporting  an  order  of  such  laborers.  This  accounts  for  the 
stand  which  he  took  on  this  subject  in  1820.  In  that  year 
the  General  Association  of  Connecticut  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  take  into  consideration  the  subject  of  increasing  minis- 
terial labor  in  the  several  congregations  in  our  connection. 
When  that  committee  met  they  invited  Mr.  Nettleton  to  meet 
with  them,  and  requested  his  opinion  as  to  the  expediency  of 
introducing  and  supporting  an  order  of  evangelists.  He  was 
told  that  if  he  would  consent  to  act  as  an  evangelist  for  the 
State,  and  locate  himself  in  New  Haven,  in  that  capacity,  the 
churches  would  undoubtedly  give  him  an  ample  support.  He 
5* 


54  MEMOIR     OF 

remarked  that  he  had  never  yet  received  a  dollar  from  any  be- 
nevolent society,  or  public  association,  and  that  he  did  not 
choose  to  labor  in  this  way.  He  moreover  gave  it  as  his 
opinion,  that  it  would  be  inexpedient  to  introduce  and  support 
an  order  of  evangelists.  He  foresaw  the  evils  that  would  be 
likely  to  grow  out  of  the  system,  if  it  were  made  permanent ; 
and  they  were  the  very  evils  which  were  afterwards  so  stri- 
kingly realized  in  some  parts  of  the  country.  Through  his 
influence  the  project  was  abandoned. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Lavius  Hyde,  dated  Aug.  24,  1829, 
he  thus  alludes  to  the  facts  above  stated. 

"  The  course  which  I  have  pursued  as  an  evangelist,  is  one 
that  I  never  dreamed  of,  as  I  suppose  you  know  ;  having  de- 
signed to  be  a  foreign  missionary,  from  the  time  I  first  thought 
of  entering  the  ministry.  I  feel  grieved  and  sick,  when  I 
think  of  some  who  wish  to  be  evangelists,  because  they  are 
unfit  for  settled  pastors.  I  have  long  seen  and  deplored  the 
evil.  Did  I  inform  you  that  at  a  meeting  of  a  committee  of 
the  General  Association  of  Connecticut,  in  1820,  a  proposition 
was  made  to  send  out  a  number  of  evangelists,  as  the  best 
means  of  promoting  revivals  of  religion,  and  that  I  objected  ? — 
that  they  proposed  to  give  me  a  salary  of  $1000,  annually, 
and  that  I  declined  receiving  any  thing  in  that  line  1 " 


CHAPTER   IV. 


His  labors  in  Derby,  South  Britain,  South  Salem,  Danbury,  Monroe,  North  Lyme, 
Hacllyme,  Bloomfiekl,  Milton,  South  Farms,  Chester,  East  Granby,  Bolton,  Man- 
chester, West  Granby. 

Of  the  effects  of  Mr.  Nettleton's  labors,  during  the  few 
months  which  he  spent  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut,  I 
am  not  able  to  speak  particularly.  I  have  understood,  gener- 
ally, that  they  were  not  altogether  in  vain  ;  that  some  souls 
were  awakened  and  hopefully  converted  to  Christ.  But  for 
reasons  stated  in  the  preceding  chapter,  he  found  it  to  be  an 
unpromising  field  of  labor. 

He  afterwards  preached  several  Sabbaths  in  Derby,  with 
some  success.  A  few  individuals  received  impressions  which 
issued,  as  was  believed,  in  a  saving  conversion  to  God. 

In  the  fall  of  1812,  having  received  an  invitation  to  preach 
in  South  Salem,  New  York,  he  stopped  on  his  way  thither, 
at  South  Britain,  Conn.,  where  the  author  of  this  memoir  then 
resided.  This  was  the  commencement  of  their  acquaintance  ; 
an  acquaintance,  which  soon  ripened  into  an  endeared  friend- 
ship that  lasted  through  life.  There  was  at  that  time,  a  very 
interesting  revival  of  religion  in  South  Britain.  This  induced 
him  to  prolong  his  visit  for  one  week.  He  preached  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  attended  several  other  religious  meetings,  besides 
visiting  with  the  pastor  from  house  to  house,  and  conversing 
with  those  who  were  anxious  for  their  souls.  His  labors 
were  very  acceptable  to  the  people,  and  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  they  were  blessed  to  the  saving  good  of  some  souls, 


56  MEMOIR    OF 

His  manner  at  this  time,  was  somewhat  peculiar,  but  not 
so  much  so,  as  to  injure  his  usefulness.  His  address  at  the 
first  meeting  which  he  attended,  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  heard  it.  It  was  in  a  school  house,  crowded  with 
people,  not  a  few  of  whom  were  under  deep  conviction  of 
sin.  As  he  arose,  being  an  entire  stranger,  every  eye  was 
fixed  upon  him,  and  a  breathless  silence  pervaded  the  assem- 
bly. With  great  solemnity  he  looked  upon  the  congregation, 
and  thus  began.  "What  is  that  murmur  which  I  hear? — I 
wish  I  had  a  new  heart.  What  shall  I  do  ? — They  tell  rae  to 
repent — I  can't  repent — I  wish  they  would  give  me  some  other 
direction."  He  thus  went  on  for  a  short  time,  personating  the 
awakened  sinner,  and  bringing  out  the  feelings  of  his  heart. 
He  then  changed  the  form  of  his  address,  and  in  a  solemn 
and  affectionate  manner,  appealed  to  the  consciences  of  his 
hearers,  and  showed  them  that  they  must  repent  or  perish, 
that  it  was  their  reasonable  duty  to  repent  immediately,  and 
that  ministers  could  not  direct  them  to  any  thing  short  of 
repentance,  without  being  unfaithful  to  their  souls.  The  ad- 
dress produced  a  thrilling  effect,  and  served  greatly  to  deepen 
the  convictions  of  those  who  were  anxious. 

During  the  week  that  he  remained  in  South  Britain,  he 
took  a  lively  interest  in  the  revival  which  was  in  progress, 
and  he  left  the  place  with  his  heart  glowing  with  love  to 
souls,  and  with  ardent  desires  that  God  would  give  him  grace 
to  be  faithful  to  the  people  among  whom  he  was  going  to 
labor.  From  that  time,  for  ten  years,  it  was  his  happy  lot, 
to  be  employed  almost  constantly  in  revivals  of  religion. 

He  went  to  South  Salem.  The  church  was  destitute  of  a 
pastor,  and  was  in  a  cold  and  backslidden  state.  Great  spir- 
itual apathy  existed  in  the  congregation.  He  preached  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  appointed  one  or  two  evening  meetings  in  the 
course  of  the  week.  His  preaching  produced  an  immediate, 
solemnity  on  the  minds  of  the  people  ;  and  in  the  course  of  a 
fortnight,  there  was  a  development  of  feeling,  which  made 


DK.    NETTLETON.  57 

it  apparent  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  operating  on  many 
minds.  At  the  close  of  one  of  his  evening  meetings,  several 
youths  repaired  to  his  lodgings  in  deep  distress,  to  inquire 
what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  He  pointed  them  to  Christ, 
and  with  affectionate  earnestness,  urged  them  immediately  to 
repent  and  believe  the  gospel.  The  next  day,  in  visiting 
from  house  to  house,  he  found  others  under  deep  religious 
impressions.  The  seriousness  soon  spread  through  the  place, 
and  the  subject  of  religion  became  the  engrossing  topic  of 
conversation.  In  the  course  of  one  or  two  weeks  from  this 
time,  several  were  found  rejoicing  in  hope.  He  was  exceed- 
ingly anxious  lest  they  should  take  up  with  a  false  and  spuri- 
ous hope.  He  warned  them  of  the  danger  of  self-deception, 
reminded  them  of  the  deceitfulness  of  the  human  heart,  and 
pointed  out  the  various  ways  in  which  persons  are  liable  to 
deceive  themselves.  He  also  exhibited  with  great  plainness 
the  distinguishing  marks  of  genuine  conversion.  The  work 
became  powerful,  and  increased  with  rapidity,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks,  a  large  number  gave  pleasing  evi- 
dence of  having  passed  from  death  unto  life. 

After  about  two  months,  he  left  the  place.  He  did  this, 
partly,  because  the  people  began  to  take  measures  to  give  him 
a  call  to  settle  with  them  as  their  pastor.  Having  devoted 
himself  to  a  missionary  life,  he  was  determined  to  listen  to 
no  such  call.  Another  reason  which  induced  him  to  leave, 
was,  the  presumption  that  the  work  after  having  made  such 
progress,  might  be  expected  to  continue,  as  well  without  his 
labors,  as  with  them.  In  this  respect,  he  committed  an  error, 
as  he  was  afterwards  convinced.  In  the  early  part  of  his 
ministry,  he  thought  that  he  might  accomplish  the  most  good 
by  laboring  only  a  short  time  in  a  place — that  when  a  revival 
had  commenced,  he  might  safely  commit  it  to  the  care  of 
others,  and  retire  to  a  new  field.  But  experience  taught  him 
that  this   was  not  the  way  to  be  most  useful.     He  found  it 


58  MEMO  IE    OF 

important  to  prolong  his  labors,  when  God  was  rendering 
them  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  souls. 

After  he  left  South  Salem,  he  preached  a  few  Sabbaths  in 
Danbury,  a  town  in  the  western  part  of  Connecticut.  Here 
a  work  of  grace  immediately  commenced,  and  several  inter- 
esting cases  of  conversion  occurred.  Here,  too,  the  people 
began  to  adopt  measures  to  obtain  him  for  their  pastor,  which 
induced  him  to  leave  sooner  than  he  otherwise  would  have 
done.  He  afterwards  expressed  his  regret  that  he  did  not  re- 
main longer  in  Danbury,  as  there  was  every  appearance  of 
the  commencement  of  a  great  and  glorious  revival.  The 
work  made  but  little  progress  after  his  departure. 

From  Danbury,  he  went  to  Monroe.  Here,  also,  success 
attended  his  labors.  To  what  extent,  I  am  not  able  to  state — 
nor  have  I  been  able  to  learn  how  long  he  labored  in  this 
place.  It  was,  however,  but  a  short  time.  He  preached 
there  occasionally,  afterwards,  and  often  spoke  with  interest 
of  the  young  converts,  and  particularly  of  one,  whose  tri- 
umphant death  he  was  called  to  witness. 

In  the  spring  of  1813,  he  visited  North  Lyme,  a  parish 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut  river.  The  church  was 
destitute  of  a  pastor.  There  was  no  special  seriousness 
when  he  commenced  his  labors.  But  a  deep  solemnity  soon 
pervaded  the  congregation,  and  in  three  or  four  weeks,  a  large 
number  were  anxiously  enquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be 
saved.  He  remained  in  this  place  longer  than  in  any  of  the 
places  in  which  he  had  previously  resided  ;  and  "  much  peo- 
ple," in  the  judgment  of  charity,  were  "  added  unto  the  Lord." 

While  in  North  Lyme,  he  spent  considerable  time  in  assist- 
ing the  Rev.  Mr.  Vail,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Hadlyme. 
Here  too,  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed  to  the  quickening 
of  God's  people,  and  to  the  awakening  and  conversion  of 
sinners. 

In  the  summer  of  1813,  he  preached  four  Sabbaths  in 
Bloomfield.     In  this   place,   as   in  others,  the  Spirit  of  God 


DR.    NETTLETON.  f>V* 

accompanied  his    labors,  and  several    interesting   cases    of 
hopeful  conversion  occurred. 

In  the  autumn  of  1813,  he  commenced  his  labors  in 
Milton,  a  parish  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  of  Litchfield. 
This  was  a  waste  place.  The  people  were  not  only  without 
a  pastor,  but  had  become  so  weakened  by  divisions,  and  by 
the  loss  of  their  parish  fund,  that  they  almost  despaired  of 
ever  enjoying  again,  the  privilege  of  a  preached  gospel.  Dr. 
Beecher,  who  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  church  in  Litch- 
field, and  another  neighboring  minister,  agreed  to  solicit  funds 
in  their  respective  congregations,  to  support  a  preacher,  for  a 
season,  in  Milton.  Having  entered  into  this  arrangement, 
they  made  application  to  Mr.  Nettleton.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  churches  in  the  vicinity  were  requested  to  remember  that 
people  particularly  in  their  prayers.  In  conformity  with  the 
arrangement,  Mr.  Nettleton  came,  and  called  on  Dr.  Beecher. 
It  was  the  first  time  that  they  had  met.  "  Thou  hast  well 
done,''  said  Dr.  Beecher,  "  that  thou  art  come."  "  I  ask,"said 
Mr.  Nettleton,  "  for  what  intent  ye  have  sent  for  mc  ?"  "  To 
hear  all  things  that  are  commanded  thee  of  God,"  said  Dr. 
Beecher.  On  Friday,  by  the  direction  of  Dr.  Beecher,  Mr. 
Nettleton  took  lodgings  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  members 
of  his  church,  who  lived  on  the  borders  of  Milton.  The 
next  day,  notice  was  sent  to  the  people  that  they  might  ex- 
pect preaching  on  the  Sabbath.  This  was  entirely  unexpect- 
ed by  the  people,  as  they  were  ignorant  of  the  efforts  which 
had  been  made  in  their  behalf.  On  Sabbath  morning,  Mr. 
Nettleton  repaired  to  the  place,  and  preached  to  a  very  small 
congregation.  There  were  but  few  professors  of  religion  in 
the  place,  and  they  were  in  a  lukewarm  state,  and  very  great 
indifference  to  the  subject  of  religion  prevailed  among  the 
people  at  large.  At  the  close  of  public  worship,  one  of  the 
people,  very  reluctantly,  as  he  afterwards  confessed,  invited 
Mr.  Nettleton  to  his  house,  because  there  was  no  other  indi- 
vidual who  was  disposed  to  do  it.     In  this  house,  he  found  a 


60  MEMOIR   or 

pleasant  home ;  and  it  proved  to  be  like  the  house  of  Obede- 
dom,  which  God  blessed.  Salvation  came  indeed  to  this 
house,  and  the  family  were  much  more  unwilling  to  part  with 
their  guest,  than  they  had  been  to  receive  him. 

The  curiosity  of  the  people  was  soon  excited,  and  they 
flocked  together  to  hear  the  stranger  who  had  come  so  unex- 
pectedly among  them.  At  the  close  of  one  of  his  evening 
meetings,  he  informed  them,  that  he  had  been  requested  to 
come  and  labor  with  them  for  a  season,  and  he  wished  them 
to  pray  for  a  revival  of  religion,  adding,  "  whether  you  do  or 
not,  it  is  possible  there  may  be  one,  for  christians  in  other 
places  have  agreed  to  pray  for  you."  This  produced  great 
solemnity.  Several  went  from  that  meeting  in  deep  distress. 
It  was  soon  manifest,  that  God  was  in  the  place,  of  a  truth. 
The  work  increased  rapidly  and  became  very  powerful.  It 
was  characterized  by  remarkably  clear  and  distressing  convic- 
tions of  sin.  The  subjects  had  a  vivid  sense  of  the  opposi- 
tion of  their  hearts  to  God,  and  in  some  instances,  their  dis- 
tress was  overwhelming.  On  one  evening,  two  or  three  indi- 
viduals were  in  such  horror  of  mind,  that  it  became  necessary 
to  remove  them  from  the  meeting,  to  a  neighboring  house. 
This,  for  the  moment,  created  some  confusion,  but  order  was 
soon  restored,  when  Mr.  N.  addressed  the  people  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner.  "  It  may,  perhaps,  be  new  to  some  of  you, 
that  there  should  be  such  distress  for  sin.  But  there  was 
great  distress  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  thousands  were 
pricked  in  the  heart,  and  cried  out,  '  men  and  brethren,  what 
shall  we  do.'  Some  of  you  may,  perhaps,  be  ready  to  say, 
if  this  is  religion,  we  wish  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  My 
friends,  this  is  not  religion.  Religion  does  not  cause  its  sub- 
jects to  feel  and  act  thus.  These  individuals  are  thus  dis- 
tressed, not  because  they  have  religion,  but  because  they  have 
no  religion,  and  have  found  it  out.  It  was  so  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  The  thousands  who  were  pricked  in  their  heart, 
had  found  that  they  had  no  religion,  and  were  unprepared  to 


DR.    NETTLLTO  N  .  6  1 

meet  their  God.  They  had  made  the  discovery  that  they 
were  lost  sinners,  and  that  their  souls  were  in  jeopardy  every 
hour."  These  may  not  be  the  precise  words,  but  such  was 
the  substance  of  his  address.  It  produced  a  salutary  effect. 
It  served  to  check  what  would  be  the  natural  result  of  mere 
sympathy  on  such  an  occasion,  and  also  to  stop  the  mouths  of 
thocse  who  might  be  disposed  to  cavil.  I  would  here  remark, 
that  in  most  of  the  revivals  under  Mr.  Nettleton's  preaching, 
there  were  cases  of  overwhelming  distress.  But  this  distress 
was  not  the  result  of  mere  sympathy,  but  of  clear  conviction 
of  sin  ;  and  in  almost  all  cases,  it  soon  terminated  in  a  peace- 
ful and  joyful  hope  of  salvation. 

Mr.  Nettleton  labored  in  ?viilton  three  or  four  months,  dur- 
ing which  time  a  large  number  became  hopefully  subjects  of 
renewing  grace.  The  wastes  of  Zion  were  repaired.  The 
things  which  were  ready  to  die,  were  strengthened,  and  there 
was  great  joy  in  that  place. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  Dr.  Beecher  and  another  neigh- 
boring minister,  agreed  to  collect  funds  for  the  support  of  Mr. 
N.  while  preaching  in  Milton.  Some  money  was  collected 
for  this  purpose,  but  he  refused  to  receive  it.  The  people  had 
made  him  some  presents  in  clothing,  and  with  this  he  was 
satisfied.  "Having  food  and  raiment,"  he  was  "  therewith 
content.  "* 

While  he  was  at  Milton,  some  young  people  from  South 
Farms,  (a  parish  in  the  south  part  of  Litchfield,)  attended  his 
meetings,  and  were  awakened  by  his  preaching.  This  pre- 
pared the  way  for  him  to  visit  that  place,  which  he  did  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  winter.  He  continued  there,  laboring  with 
great  success,  for  several  months. 

*  It  may  be  proper  here  to  remark,  that  during  the  ten  years  that  Mr.  N.  was 
laboring  in  revivals,  he  received  as  a  compensation  for  his  services,  barely  suf- 
ficient to  defray  his  expenses.  When  he  was  taken  sick  in  1822,  he  was  found 
to  be  entirely  destitute,  and  money  was  collected  by  his  friends  in  different 
places,  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  sickness. 
6 


62  MEMOIR    OF 

An  account  of  this  revival  was  written  by  James  Morris, 
Esq.,  an  intelligent  and  pious  gentleman,  who  resided  in  that 
place,  and  who  for  many  years  sustained  a  high  reputation  as 
a  teacher  of  youth.  The  account  was  never  published,  but 
the  manuscript  has  been  carefully  preserved,  and  has  been 
kindly  submitted  to  my  inspection.  The  narrative  is  very 
particular.  It  gives  the  names  and  age  of  eighty  individuals, 
the  time  of  each  one's  hopeful  conversion,  and  some  account 
of  the  religious  exercises  of  almost  all  of  them. 

A  few  extracts  will  be  interesting  to  the  reader. 

"  The  revival  of  religion  began  in  South  Farms  in  February 
or  March,  1814.  Praised  be  God  for  his  glorious  work  of 
redeeming  love  in  the  ingathering  of  his  elect.  The  follow- 
ing persons  are  hopefully  brought  out  of  darkness  into  God's 
marvelous  light,  and  are  made  heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  dear  Redeemer.  How  astonishing  is  the 
work  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  the  Sanctifier  and  Comforter,  in 
bringing  God's  chosen  from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  Satan, 
and  prostrating  them  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Some  have 
been  called  from  among  the  most  dissipated,  thoughtless  and 
gay  ;  and  from  seventy  years  of  age,  down  to  school  children. 
Some  from  the  haunts  of  sensuality,  profaneness  and  intem- 
perance, now  apparently  sing  with  understanding  the  songs 
of  redeeming  love. 

The    first   was  A S ,  a  young  female    eighteen 

years  of  age.  She  had  her  first  impressions  in  Milton  in  the 
month  of  January  or  February.  She  continued  in  a  state  of 
anxious  inquiry  until  the  last  of  February,  when  she  enter- 
tained a  hope  that  she  had  met  with  a  change  of  heart.  She 
professes  to  enjoy  religion.  This  was  the  first  instance  of 
awakening  in  this  place." 

"  R H ,  aged  nineteen   years,  after  a  conflict  of 

serious  impressions  and  opposition  of  heart,  for  about  six 
weeks,  was,  apparently,  on  the  20th  of  April,  renewed  in 
heart.     The  first  evangelical  exercise  that  she  had  any  know- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  63 

ledge  of,  according  to  her  own  acconnt,  was  benevolence  to 
her  fellow  men.  She  would  that  all  men  might  be  saved, 
even  if  she  was  lost.  The  divine  law  appeared  to  her  holy, 
just  and  good.  She  felt  submissive  to  the  divine  will — a  dis- 
position to  resign  herself  into  the  hands  of  God,  feeling  that 
the  judge  of  all  the  earth  would  do  right.  She  thus  continued 
till  Friday,  the  22d,  when  returning  from  a  religious  meeting, 
she  felt  a  love  to  God  on  account  of  the  excellency  of  his 
character.  She  loved  holiness  for  holiness'  sake.  She  then 
hated  sin,  because  in  its  own  nature,  it  is  odious.  This  was 
the  first  time  that  she  had  those  consolations  that  the  world 
cannot  give  nor  take  away.  Here  she  dates  her  hope,  and 
rejoices  in  God  her  Saviour." 

"  B C ,  aged  20  years,  having  had  frequent  chi- 

dings  of  conscience  at  times  for  more  than  a  year  past,  hopes 
that  on  the  14th  of  April  she  was  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  that 
she  is  now  reconciled  to  God.  Christ  appears  to  her  alto- 
gether lovely,  and  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand.  Her  first 
gracious  exercises  appeared  to  be,  love  to  the  brethren,  love 
to  God,  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  She  hates  sin 
because  it  is  exceeding  sinful.  She  appears  to  have  clear 
views  of  her  own  native  depravity,  and  of  the  obstinacy  of 
her  will.  She  wonders  at  and  adores  the  patience  and  long- 
suffering  of  God,  that  she  had  not  been  long  ago  consigned  to 
everlasting  despair." 

"  N L ,  aged  14  years,  after  sundry  weeks  of  op- 
position of  heart  to  all  moral  good,  and  hating  the  truth,  and 
avoiding  all  good  people,  was  made  to  yield  up  her  willful  per- 
verseness  of  heart  to  God,  and  to  submit  to  the  terms  of  the 
gospel.  The  first  exercise  of  her  mind  was  that  of  love  to 
all  good  people." 

"  R C ,  aged  20,  having  experienced  distressing 

convictions  of  sin,  with  an  uncommon  load  on  her  heart,  and 
with  a  high  sense  of  the  malignant  nature  of  sin,  experienced, 
as  she  believed,  divine  consolations,  on  the   evening  of  the 


64  memoir  or 

15th  of  April.  It  was  while  returning  home  from  a  confer- 
ence, that  the  burden  of  sin  was  removed,  as  she  hoped,  and 
the  love  of  God  was  shed  abroad  in  her  soul.  She  retired  to 
her  chamber,  and  took  her  Bible,  and,  opened  it  at  the  103d 
Psalm,  and  read,  '  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  his  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul, 
and  forget  not  all  his  benefits,  Sec.''  She  poured  out  her  soul 
to  God,  in  gratitude  and  praise.  She  perseveres  in  her 
grateful  remembrance  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  hopes 
that  she  shall  live  to  his  honor  and  glory  the  remainder  of 
her  life." 

"  J S ,  aged  37  years,  was  naturally  a  passionate 

man.  He  lived  in  open  sin  and  profaneness,  from  his  youth. 
He  hated  to  read  the  Bible,  and  to  attend  meeting  on  the  Sab- 
bath. He  hated  to  hear  religious  conversation,  and  avoided 
religious  instruction.  He  was  of  an  independent  spirit,  and 
impiously  heaven-daring.  Yet  the  religious  instruction  he 
had  received  from  his  mother,  could  not  be  wholly  effaced 
from  his  memory.  He. often  had  eludings  of  conscience,  and 
was  often  filled  with  remorse  ;  but  to  drive  all  this  from  his 
mind,  he  would  throw  himself  into  vain,  sensual  and  dissipated 
company.  He  never  offered  a  prayer  in  his  family.  His 
mouth  was  often  filled  with  profane  oaths,  and  the  most  im- 
pious imprecations  on  himself.  His  torments  of  mind  increas- 
ing upon  him,  he  resolved  to  put  an  end  to  his  dreadfully 
profane  and  wicked  life.  He  accordingly  procured  a  large 
dose  of  arsenic,  and  laid  it  up  for  that  purpose.  In  the  mean 
time,  he  had  a  dreadful  struggle  in  his  mind.  His  purpose,  he 
thought,  must  be  put  in  execution,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that 
the  torments  of  a  future  world  for  sin,  could  not  exceed  the 
pain  of  mind  which  he  felt.  In  this  dreadful  struggle,  the  pride 
of  his  heart  was  subdued,  and  he  was  made  to  bow  at  the 
footstool  of  sovereign  grace  on  the  10th  day  of  March.  Traits 
of  humility,  self-abasement,  and  abhorrence  of  sin,  in  no  man 
appear  more  conspicuous.     He  admires,  and  adores,  that  such 


DR.    NETTLETON.  05 

an  awful,  heaven-daring,  and  heaven-despising  wretch,  should 
be  plucked  as  a  brand  out  of  the  fire.  He  is  altogether  sub- 
missive, and  his  life  is  a  life  of  prayer." 

"  L O \V  ,  aged  12  years,  on  the  10th  day 

of  May  was  hopefully  delivered  from  the  thraldom  of  sin  and 
satan.  She  experienced  a  singular  conflict  and  conviction  of 
sin  for  about  a  week.  Her  distress  was  seemingly  too  great 
to  be  long  endured.  Her  cry  was, '  Oh,  what  a  dreadful  hard 
heart.'  '  Oh,  it  seems  as  if  I  was  in  hell.'  Her  conflict  wore 
upon  her  bodily  frame  like  a  violent  attack  of  fever.  In  this 
youth  it  was  clearly  manifested,  that  when  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  comforter,  is  come,  he  will  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  A  person  who  had  experien- 
ced a  change  of  heart,  and  who  had  seen  this  child  through  all 
her  trials  and  conflicts,  would  be  led  to  conclude  that  the 
change  in  her  is  a  real  one.  She  possessed  less  guile  than 
those  of  mature;  years.  There  was  no  dissembling.  And 
when  grace  was  planted  in  her  soul,  she  did  not  seem  to  know 
it.  The  first  effect  that  it  produced,  was  a  calm  serenity  of 
mind.  She  did  not  know  why  she  felt  so.  She  continued  so 
for  some  hours,  not  knowing  but  her  dreadful  distress  would 
return  upon  her.  She  took  her  Bible  and  perused  it,  which 
the  day  before  she  perfectly  hated,  because  looking  into  it 
increased  her  torments.  This  calm  serenity  appeared  in  the 
morning  when  she  arose.  She  thus  continued  till  towards 
noon,  when  she  informed  me  that  she  loved  God — that  the 
Bible  was  a  new  book  to  her — that  she  loved  to  read  it — that 
the  world  did  not  appear  to  her  as  it  did  before — that  all  was 
new.  She  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  said,  she  loved  me,  and 
loved  all  God's  creatures  because  God  made  them.  She  said 
she  knew  that  she  was  a  great  sinner.  She  wondered  how 
she  could  so  willfully  oppose  God  so  long.  God  was  right  and 
reasonable,  and  she  was  altogether  wrong  in  being  so  stubborn 
and  perverse.  She  said  she  was  willing  to  submit  herself 
into  the  hands  of  God,  for  God  would  do  right  with  her.     She 


66  MEMOIR    OF 

knew  that  it  would  be  just  if  God  should  send  her  to  hell. 
Here,  submission  seemed  to  be  her  first  evangelical  exercise, 
and  then,  love  to  the  brethren." 

"  Widow  A C ,  aged  50,  fixes  on  the   3rd  day  of 

May  as  the  time  when  she  hopes  that  her  heart  was  renewed 
by  the  spirit  of  grace.  She  had  long  before  entertained  a 
hope,  founded  on  her  good  works.  She  had  never  before  be- 
lieved in  total  depravity.  She  believed  that  to  live  uprightly, 
and  deal  fairly  and  honestly  with  mankind,  was  sufficient  to 
entitle  her  to  salvation.  But  at  this  time,  she  found  that  her 
former  hopes  were  nothing,  and  that  her  righteousness  was 
but  filthy  rags.  She  now  feels  that  all  her  hope  is  in  Christ. 
She  is  full  in  her  belief  of  all  the  great  doctrines  of  grace. 
She  places  her  confidence  in  God  through  Christ,  relying  on 
the  promises." 

"  Widow  S H ,  aged  70  years,  after  having  lived  to 

the  common  age  of  man,  without  the  fear  of  God  before  her 
eyes,  was  at  this  period  of  life,  hopefully  brought  out  of  dark- 
ness into  God's  marvelous  light.  She  was  of  French  de- 
scent, and  came  into  this  State  at  the  age  of  12  years.  She 
never  was  taught  to  read  or  write.  She  married  at  the  age 
of  20  years,  a  man  of  the  world,  a  stranger  to  common  mo- 
rality. She  is  the  mother  of  four  children,  who  grew  up 
without  any  religious  instruction.  But  this  aged  woman  now 
gives  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart,  even  at  the  last  part  of 
the  eleventh  hour.  She  appears  to  rejoice  exceedingly  in  the 
wonderful  display  of  God's  benevolence  in  the  ingathering  of 
his  elect.  Her  last  days  appear  to  be  emphatically  her  best 
days,  and  her  last  comforts,  the  sweetest  comforts  of  her 
life." 

"  F E ,  aged  20  years,  after  quarreling  with  the 

doctrines  of  grace,  and  having  heart-risings  against  the  divine 
sovereignty  and  the  doctrine  of  God's  electing  grace,  hopes, 
that  sometime  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  his  stubborn  heart 
was  subdued.     He  still  continues  resigned    and  submissive, 


DR.    NETTLETON.  67 

and  appears  to  enjoy  the  consolations  of  religion.  But  he  re- 
joices with  fear  and  trembling,  lest  his  heart  should  deceive 
him." 

"  S W ,  aged  26  years,  hopes  that  he  is  reconciled 

to  God  and  his  law.  His  heart  has  been  much  opposed  to 
the  great  doctrines  of  grace  ;  but  now,  he  says,  things  appear 
right  and  reasonable.  These  views  of  divine  things,  have 
happened  to  him  since  the  revival  commenced,  in  March,  but 
he  cannot  tell  the  time,  wrhen  the  change  took  place.  But  he 
can  say,  '  whereas  I  was  once  blind,  now  I  see.'" 

"  J~ B ,  son  of  E B ,  aged  nearly  13  years. 

On  the  last  Sabbath  in  May,  or  the  first  Sabbath  in  June, 
his  mother  went  to  meeting,  and  charged  him  and  her  other 
child  to  be  good  children,  and  not  to  play,  but  read  their  books; 
His  father  went  to  a  distant  field  to  see  about  his  cattle.  Be- 
fore noon,  this was   smitten  with  deep  conviction  of 

sin.  He  continued  in  a  distressed  state  about  24  hours,  with- 
out food  or  sleep.  His  mind  seemed  to  be  overwhelmed  with 
a  sense  of  the  dreadful  nature  of  sin,  as  committed  against 
God.  Something  happened  to  him  at  the  end  of  24  hours, 
which  caused  him  to  wipe  away  his  tears,  to  wash  himself, 
and  cheerfully  to  partake  of  some  food.  It  is  now  about  two 
months  since  this  happened.  He  has  been,  from  that  time  to 
this,  remarkably  calm  and  serene  in  his  mind.  He  answers 
questions  rationally — says  that  he  loves  God  and  hates  sin. 
He  fails  not  of  his  daily  devotions  and  reading  the  Bible,  and 
has  altogether  a  change  of  deportment.  He  appears  to  have 
a  sense  of  the  evil  nature  of  sin.  The  duties  of  the  Sabbath 
and  the  sanctuary,  appear  to  be  his  delight.  It  is  apparent 
to  all  who  know  this  youth,  that  a  great  change  has  taken- 
place  in  him.  From  being  passionate,  petulant,  perverse,  and 
stubborn,  he  is  now  humble,  meek,  patient,  forbearing,  and 
forgiving." 

These  few  instances,  taken  from  many  similar  to  them,  re- 
corded in  this  narrative,  will  serve  to  give  the  reader  some 


68  MEMOIR    OF 

idea  of  the  character,  not  only  of  this  revival,  but  of  the  re- 
vivals generally,  thirty  years  ago.  The  subjects  of  this  revi- 
val so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  with  few  exceptions, 
continued  to  adorn  the  christian  profession. 

Sometime  in  the  spring  of  1814,  Mr.  Nettleton  left  South 
Farms,  and  repaired  to  North  Killingworth,  greatly  exhausted 
by  his  labors,  and  intending  to  rest  for  a  season.  At  this  time 
the  people  of  Chester,  a  neighboring  parish,  were  destitute 
of  a  minister ;  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mills,  having  died  a 
short  time  before.  It  being  known  in  Chester,  that  Mr.  Net- 
tleton was  at  home,  application  was  made  to  him  to  attend  a 
funeral  in  that  place.  He  at  first  declined,  assigning  as  the 
reason,  that  he  was  greatly  exhausted  by  his  labors  and  needed 
rest.  The  man  who  came  after  hiin,  as  he  turned  to  go  away, 
burst  into  tears.  This  so  affected  Mr.  Nettleton,  that  he  con- 
cluded to  go.  He  attended  the  funeral,  and  at  the  close  of 
it,  he  gave  notice  that  he  would  meet  the  young  people  in  the 
evening,  at  the  house  of  their  late  pastor.  A  large  number 
assembled,  and  the  meeting  was  very  solemn.  Such  were 
the  indications  of  the  special  presence  of  God  among  the 
people,  that  he  was  induced,  notwithstanding  the  state  of  his 
health,  to  continue  with  them  a  considerable  time,  and  had 
the  satisfaction  to  witness  a  very  interesting  work  of  divine 
grace. 

In  the  autumn  of  1814,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  his 
labors  in  East  Granby.  This  was  a  waste  place.  The 
moral  condition  of  the  people  was  exceedingly  deplorable. 
But  God  saw  fit  to  turn  again  the  captivity  of  Zion.  Under 
Mr.  Nettleton's  preaching,  there  was  a  very  interesting  revival 
of  religion.  He  preached  here  till  some  time  in  the  winter, 
when  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  his  labors  for  several  months, 
by  hemorrhage  from  the  lungs.  The  Rev.  J.  B.  Clark,  the 
present  pastor  of  the  church  in  East  Granby,  in  a  letter  dated 
Nov.  17,  1843,  thus  speaks  of  the  effects  of  Mr.  Nettleton's 
labors  in  that  place. 


DR.    NETTLETON,  GJ 

"  Most  of  these  who  were  connected  with  the  church,  as 
the  result  of  that  revival,  have  worn  remarkably  well,  so  far 
as  is  or  can  be  known.  Many  of  them  have  been,  and  are 
still,  bright  and  shining  lights  in  the  church  of  Christ.  One 
of  the  subjects,  Miss  C.  Thrall,  died  as  a  missionary  among 
the  western  Indians. 

"  The  effect  of  that  revival  upon  the  church,  and  upon  the 
community,  was  most  happy  and  lasting. 

"  The  interest  of  Christ's  kingdom  had  suffered  much  from 
an  erroneous  ministry  The  church  lost  all  spirituality  and 
fervency.  The  community  were  buried  in  sinful  indifference. 
When  Mr.  Nettleton  came  among  them,  stupidity  and  sloth- 
fulness  prevailed  among  all  classes  and  all  ages.  The  effect 
of  his  entrance  to  the  place,  was  electric.  The  schoolhouse, 
and  private  rooms,  were  filled  with  trembling  worshipers. 
A  solemnity  and  seriousness  pervaded  the  community,  which 
had  not  been  experienced  for  years  before.  There  was  no 
bustle — no  array  of  means.  All  was  orderly,  quiet,  and  scrip- 
tural. There  seems  to  have  been  an  increasing  solemnity, 
while  the  work  continued. 

"  I  am  told  that  his  sermons  were  in  a  high  degree,  practi- 
cal. Doctrinal  sermons  were  frequent,  but  these  had  a  prac- 
tical turn.  They  were  eminently  scriptural,  and  plain,  and 
made  men  feel  that  they  were  the  men  addressed,  and  not 
their  neighbors.  He  sometimes  preached  en  the  severer  doc- 
trines with  great  power  and  apparent  good  effect.  At  this 
day  we  can  hardly  imagine  the  effect  which  his  visit  had  upon 
this  waste  place.  This  seems  to  have  been  Satan's  chief 
seat.  Infidelity  had  been  infused  into  the  very  bosom  of  the 
church.     Of  course  sin  in  every  form  abounded. 

"  There  were  no  spiritual  hymn-books  in  use,  till  Mr.  Net- 
tleton labored  here  ;  and  then  those  hymns,  in  his  hands,  be- 
came most  solemn  sermons. 

Mr.  Nettleton  is  remembered  with  much  interest,  and  pecu- 
liar affection  by  most  of  those  advanced   in  life.     When  I 


70  MEMOIR    OF 

have  been  speaking  of  him  in  my  pastoral  visits,  the  most  in 
tense  interest  is  excited.  From  many  expressions  used  as  the 
old  people  speak  of  him,  one  may  know  that  his  labors  are 
still  remembered  with  affection." 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1815,  Mr.  Nettleton  having  so  far 
recovered  from  his  illness  as  to  be  able  to  preach,  labored  for 
a  season  in  Bolton,  with  signal  success.  Here  the  people 
gave  him  a  call  to  settle  as  their  pastor,  -which  he  immediately 
declined,  and  recommended  to  them  his  friend  and  classmate, 
the  Rev.  Philander  Parmele.  Mr.  Parmele  was  installed 
Nov.  8,  1815. 

From  Bolton,  he  went  to  Manchester,  to  assist  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Cook,  whose  people  were  enjoying  a  time  of  "refreshing 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  By  a  divine  blessing  on  his 
labors,  the  work  was  greatly  promoted  and  extended. 

After  this,  he  spent  a  few  weeks  in  Granby,  (west  parish,) 
where  his  preaching  was  crowned  with  very  signal  suecess. 
Peculiar  circumstances  prevented  him  from  continuing  long 
with  this  people ;  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  many 
souls  were  savingly  benefited  by  his  labors.  There  were  but 
few  places  in  which  he  labored,  where  so  much  apparent 
good  was  effected  in  so  short  a  time. 

Of  the  revivals  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  excepting  the 
one  in  South  Britain,  no  account  was  published  at  the  time  ; 
and  with  the  exception  of  that  and  the  one  in  South  Farms, 
so  far  as  is  now  known,  no  particular  account  was  ever  writ- 
ten. As  Mr.  Nettleton  kept  no  journal  of  his  labors  at  that 
period,  it  is  impossible  at  this  late  day,  to  give  any  more  than 
a  very  general  account  of  most  of  these  revivals.  Some  of 
the  facts  which  I  have  mentioned,  fell  under  my  own  observa- 
tion, and  some  of  them  were  obtained  in  private  conversation 
from  Mr.  Nettleton  himself. 


CHAPTER    V 


His  labors  in  New  Haven,  Salisbury,  Bridgewater,  Torrington,  Waterbury,   Upper 
Middletown,  Rocky  Hill,  Ashford,  Eastford  and  Bolton. 

In  the  spring  of  1815,  at  the  request  of  the  pastors  of  the 
Congregational  churches  in  New  Haven,  Mr.  Nettleton  re- 
paired to  that  city.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  was  invited  to 
visit  the  school  of  young  ladies,  taught  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Her- 
rick.  He  gave  them  some  account  of  the  revivals  in  Litchfield 
county,  and  particularly,  of  the  revival  in  Mrs.  Pierce's  school 
in  Litchfield.  Many  of  the  scholars  were  deeply  affected  by 
this  account,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  members  of  the  school,  were  anxiously  enquiring 
what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  The  seriousness  spread,  and 
a  great  and  glorious  work  of  divine  grace  was  witnessed  in 
the  city,  and  to  some  extent  in  Yale  College.  Mr.  Nettleton 
continued  to  labor  in  New  Haven  two  or  three  months  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  his  brethren  there,  and  with  the  same 
success  which  had  crowned  his  labors  in  country  parishes. 

In  the  summer  of  1815,  he  visited  Salisbury,  a  town  in  the 
north  part  of  Litchfield  county.  In  this  town  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  revivals  which  ever  occurred  under  his 
preaching.  No  account  of  it  was  ever  published.  In  a  letter 
written  by  him  in  1827,  to  the  Rev.  John  Frost,  there  is  the 
following  brief  notice  of  it. 

"In  1815,  in  the  town  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  after  laboring 
awhile  under  great  discouragement,  there  were  some  favor- 
able  appearances.     A  number  were  anxious,  and  a  few  in 


72  MEMOIR    OF  '■ 

awful  distress  of  soul,  in  one  village.  It  was  taken  hold  of 
by  some  ignorant,  officious  hands  ;  and  they  were  set  to  groan- 
ing and  screaming,  and  alarmed  all  the  village  in  my  absence. 
Having  heard  the  tidings,  I  hastened  to  the  spot,  and  with 
kind,  but  decided  severity  called  them  to  order.  My  attempts, 
by  those  who  had  given  the  work  that  turn,  were  considered 
as  very  obtrusive  and  daring.  It  was  reported  all  over  town, 
that  a  revival  had  begun  in  Salisbury,  and  that  I  had  put  a  slop 
to  it.  They  seemed  to  be  very  much  grieved  and  shocked  at 
my  conduct.  It  took  a  number  of  days  to  restore  order,  but 
when  it  was  done,  the  work  of  God  advanced  silently  and 
powerfully,  until  all  classes,  old  and  young,  were  moved  all 
over  town.  The  language  was,  '  the  fountains  of  the  great 
deep  are  broken  up.'  Not  far  from  three  hundred  were  num- 
bered as  the  hopeful  subjects  of  divine  grace  in  that  revival." 

The  Rev.  Jonathan  Lee,  who  is  a  native  of  Salisbury,  and 
who  at  present  resides  there,  has  furnished  the  following  brief 
account  of  this  revival. 

"  The  first  and  greatest  jevival  of  religion  which  has  taken 
place  in  Salisbury,  Conn.,  stood  connected  with  the  labors  of 
Mr.  Neltleton,  and  began  in  the  summer  of  1815,  and  exten- 
ded through  the  autumn  and  winter  following.  The  church 
was  destitute  of  a  pastor,  and  reduced  to  a  small  number, 
there  being  but  seventeen  male  members.  Having  been  unsuc- 
cessful in  their  efforts  to  obtain  a  pastor,  and  seeing  no  acces- 
sions, the  few  members  remaining,  felt  a  deep  conviction  of 
the  necessity  of  the  effusions  of  the  Spirit,  to  strengthen  the 
things  that  were  ready  to  die  ;  and  an  unusual  spirit  of  prayer 
was  felt,  as  they  sought  the  blessing  at  the  throne  of  grace. 
In  these  circumstances,  they  applied  to  Mr.  Nettleton  to  come 
and  labor  among  them.  After  they  had  waited  with  doubt  and 
solicitude  for  sometime,  he  at  length  came,  without  previously 
having  sent  any  promise,  or  notice  ;  and,  as  was  ascertained, 
without  informing  the  friends  with  whom  he  had  been,  what 
was  his  place  of  destination.     He  arrived  at  the  house  of  one 


DR.    \ETTLETON.  73 

of  the  deacons  of  the  church  and  lodged.  He  made  such 
inquiries,  as  were  designed  to  ascertain  whether  his  coming 
had  been  much  looked  for  and  relied  upon,  in  order  to  a  revival 
of  religion.  For  some  cause  his  fears  were  excited,  perhaps 
from  the  fact,  that  deacon  S.  had  that  day  been  riding  in 
unsuccessful  pursuit  of  him ;  and  he  at  once  declined  staying 
or  making  any  effort,  saying,  '  I  can  do  no  good  here.'  En- 
deavors were  made  to  convince  him,  that  he  had  not  been  the 
object  of  reliance,  and  to  persuade  him  to  stay  till  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath,  and  preach  and  take  opportunity  to  get  acquaint- 
ed with  the  state  of  christian  feeling.  Yielding  for  the 
present  to  the  importunity,  he  prayed  and  conversed  with  the 
family,  the  laborers  being  called  in  for  the  purpose  from  the 
field,  and  offered  to  meet  at  the  same  place,  at  a  particular 
hour,  on  the  next  day,  any  young  people,  who,  when  invited 
by  the  deacon,  should  be  disposed  to  come  in.  He  next  visited 
the  other  deacon  and  pursued  the  same  course  and  at  his 
second  visit,  met  with  a  company  of  young  persons  at  each 
place.  He  began  talking  to  them  in  the  most  simple  and 
solemn  manner,  with  the  view  to  fix  upon  their  minds  some 
plain  important  truth,  suited  to  awaken  and  impress  the  con- 
science. There  was  no  dilation  of  thought  but  one  weighty 
idea,  such  as  the  worth  of  the  soul,  or  the  necessity  of  true 
religion,  dwelt  upon  and  reiterated,  and  left  in  its  naked  reality 
and  solemnity  on  each  individual's  mind.  This  noiseless 
commencement  of  his  labors,  was  followed  by  visiting  the 
families  of  christian  professors,  and  by  stated  religious  meet- 
ings in  connection  with  the  labors  of  the  Sabbath.  A  primary 
object  was  to  find  the  state  of  feeling  in  christians,  and  to 
promote  a  humble,  praying  spirit.  At  an  early  date,  after  being 
convinced  of  his  duty  to  stay  and  labor,  he  called  together  the 
church,  and  with  great  earnestness,  besought  them  to  lay  aside 
all  expectations  from  him,  and  pray  with  humility  and  fervency, 
that  the  work  of  the  Lord  might  be  revived.  At  the  same 
time,  he  gave  such  counsels  and  cautions,  particularly  with 
7 


74  MEMOIR    OF      ' 

regard  to  the  instruction  and  treatment  of  persons  under  con- 
viction, as  he  judged  necessary  to  guard  against  unhappy 
results. 

"  This  favored  servant  of  Christ,  came  with  no  trumpet 
sounded  before  him,  but  in  the  meekness  of  his  master,  and 
the  Lord  was  with  him  in  very  deed.  Meetings  became 
crowded  and  deeply  solemn,  and  many  obtained  hope  in  Christ. 
He  conversed  individually  with  the  anxious,  and  met  at  certain 
times  at  his  boarding  place,  all  who  were  disposed  to  be  con- 
versed with,  on  the  state  of  the  heart,  and  the  salvation  of  the 
soul.  In  addressing  meetings,  he  was  wont,  to  seize  on  some 
point  of  interest,  bearing  directly  upon  the  state  of  mind  in 
which  his  hearers  were,  and  then  press  it  with  a  rare  degree 
of  directness,  plainness  and  force. 

"  Without  attempting  further  details,  I  feel  assured,  (though 
absent,  and  closely  occupied  in  a  revival  among  the  people  of 
my  charge,)  that  this  revival  was  distinguished  for  its  stillness 
and  solemnity,  for  deep  conviction  of  conscience,  for  discrim- 
inating views  of  divine  truth,  for  humility  and  subsequent  sta- 
bility of  christian  character.  The  subjects  were  of  different 
ages,  but  generally  youth.  As  fruits  of  the  revival  about  two 
hundred  were  admitted  into  the  Congregational  church,  besides 
several  who  united  with  other  churches.  Many  of  these 
young  professors  intermarried,  and  became  heads  of  families, 
and  have  lived  to  train  up  many  children  for  Christ.  Not  a 
few,  in  the  twenty-seven  years  since  elapsed,  have  died  in  the 
Lord.  Those  remaining,  still  constitute  the  strength  of  the 
church  ;  for  although  some  other  favored  seasons  of  ingath- 
ering have  been  enjoyed,  none  have  borne  comparison  with 
this,  for  permanent  influence  upon  the  stale  of  the  community, 
for  enlightened  piety,  and  steadfastness  of  christian  principle 
and  character.  Many  still  look  back  to  that  date  with  the 
deepest  interest,  and  liveliest,  gratitude,  as  the  blest  period  of 
their  espousal  to  Christ — as  the  memorable  year  of  the  right 
hand  of  the  Lord.     The  name  of  Asahel  Nettleton.  the  humble, 


1)  R  .    N  E  T  T  J,  E  T  0  X  .  75 

skillful  laborer  in  this  field,  at  that  season,  employed  in  direct- 
ing so  many  to  Christ,  is  embalmed  in  many  a  heart.  It  stands 
associated  with  their  dearest  hopes,  and  purest  joys,  and  will 
call  forth  praises  never  ending  to  the  chief  shepherd,  who 
employed  him  in  leading  so  many  of  this  flock  into  his  spiritual 
fold,  to  stand  at  his  right  hand  at  the  great  decisive  day,  to  the 
praise  of  his  own  unfathomable  grace." 

I  will  add  a  few  facts,  which  were  learned  directly  from  Mr. 
Nettleton. 

In  the  commencement  of  this  revival,  much  opposition  was 
manifested  on  the  part  of  the  enemies  of  religion.  But  God 
overruled  it  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel.  As  the  people, 
assembled  one  evening  at  a  large  school-house  in  which  they 
had  been  accustomed  to  meet,  it  was  found  that  all  the  seats 
had  been  removed  from  the  house  and  concealed.  A  large 
congregation  having  assembled  in  and  around  the  house,  Mr. 
Nettleton  observed  to  them,  that  he  had  believed  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  was  operating  on  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  that  he 
was  now  confirmed  in  the  belief.  The  people  then  repaired  to 
the  meeting-house,  where  the  religious  services  were  conducted 
with  most  evident  tokens  of  the  divine  presence.  The  work, 
though  still,  was  very  deep  and  powerful,  and  it  spread  into 
every  part  of  the  town.  It  at  first  prevailed  mostly  among  the 
youth,  but  it  soon  began  to  appear  among  heads  of  families, 
and  some  who  were  quite  advanced  in  life,  were  numbered 
among  the  subjects.  The  conversion  of  a  man  from  fifty  to 
sixty  years  of  age,  who  had  been  a  violent  opposer,  seemed  to 
be  the  means  of  arresting  the  attention  of  many.  This  indi- 
vidual was  a  man  of  considerable  influence,  and  like  Paul, 
before  his  conversion,  was  exceedingly  mad  against  the  church. 
But  God,  as  there  is  reason  to  believe,  subdued  his  heart,  and 
he  became  as  ardent  in  his  attachment  to  the  cause  of  Christ, 
as  he  had  been  violent  in  his  opposition.  "  What  a  glorious 
work  of  grace  is  this  in  Salisbury,"  said  he  one  morning,  to 
Mr.  Nettleton  ;    "  I  hope  that  all  my  family,  and  all  the  people 


70  MEMOIR    OF 

of  the  town  will  become  interested  in  it,  even  if  I  am  cast  off 
forever."  This  was  the  first  manifestation  of  a  change  in  his 
feelings.  The  change  in  him  was  so  striking,  that  many  who 
had  been  skeptical  were  convinced  that  it  must  be  the  work  of 
God.  He  took  every  opportunity  to  converse  with  his  acquain- 
tance, and  to  recommend  to  them  the  religion,  which  he  had 
formerly  despised,  and  God  made  him  the  instrument  in  awak- 
ening many  to  a  sense  of  their  lost  condition  as  sinners. 

The  interest  became  so  intense  in  every  part  of  the  town, 
that  whenever  Mr.  Nettleton  was  seen  to  enter  a  house,  almost 
the  whole  neighborhood  would  immediately  assemble  to  hear 
from  his  lips  the  word  of  life.  Husbandmen  would  leave  their 
fields,  mechanics  their  shops,  and  females  their  domestic  con- 
cerns, to  inquire  the  way  to  eternal  life.  Religion  was  the 
great  and  all-absorbing  theme  in  almost  all  companies,  and  on 
almost  all  occasions.  Mr.  Nettleton  labored  in  Salisbury 
through  the  winter. 

In  the  spring  of  1816,  he  commenced  his  labors  in  Bridge- 
water.  This  is  a  parish  in  the  town  of  New  Milford,  in  the 
south-western  part  of  Litchfield  county.  Here  was  a  small 
church  destitute  of  a  pastor.  The  state  of  religion  was  very 
low.  Unhappy  dissensions  existed  in  the  church,  and  great 
stupidity  prevailed  among  the  people  at  large.  Soon  after  he 
commenced  his  labors,  there  seemed  to  be  a  solemn  attention 
to  the  word  preached,  but  no  cases  of  deep  conviction  of  sin. 
He  soon  became  convinced  that  there  could  be  but  little  hope 
of  a  revival  of  religion,  until  a  better  state  of  feeling  prevailed 
in  the  church.  He  endeavored  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of 
the  brethren,  the  importance  of  settling  their  difficulties,  and 
of  uniting  their  prayers  and  their  efforts  for  the  promotion  of 
Christ's  kingdom.  But  his  exhortations  seemed  to  have  but 
little  effect,  and  perceiving  that  they  had  no  proper  sense  of 
their  dependence  on  God,  but  were  placing  undue  reliance  on 
him,  he  thought  it  best  to  withdraw.  Accordingly,  without 
the  knowledge  of  any  but  the  family  in  which  he  boarded,  he 


DR.    *  E  IT  L  ET  O  X.  77 

suddenly  left  the  place.  The  next  day  was  the  annual  State 
Fast.  The  people  assembled,  expecting  to  hear  him  preach  ; 
when  to  their  astonishment,  they  found  the  pulpit  vacant. 
The  disappointment  was  great,  but  it  produced  the  intended 
effect.  The  members  of  the  church  were  deeply  affected. 
They  spent  the  day  in  prayer  and  mutual  confession  of  sin. 
All  their  difficulties  were  healed,  and  brotherly  love  was  re- 
stored. It  was  with  them  a  day  of  deep  repentartte  and  humil- 
iation before  God.  Numbers  of  the  youth,  whose  minds  had 
been  somewhat  impressed  by  Mr.  Nettleton's  preaching,  when 
they  found  that  he  had  left  them,  were  brought  into  great  dis- 
tress of  mind.  Meanwhile  he  was  spending  the  day.  with  a 
brother  in  the  ministry  in  a  neighboring  town.  On  the  Sat- 
urday following,  he  proposed  to  this  brother,  to  go  and  spend 
the  Sabbath  in  Bridgewater,  and  permit  him  to  supply  his 
pulpit.  The  arrangement  was  accordingly  made.  This 
brother  found  a  most  interesting  state  of  things.  A  deep  sol- 
emnity pervaded  the  congregation,  and  quite  a  number  were 
found  anxiously  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 
When  Mr.  Nettleton  learned  the  state  of  things,  he  returned 
to  Bridgewater,  and  labored  there  with  great  success  for  sev- 
eral months. 

In  this  revival  there  was  one  case  of  peculiar  interest.  Mr. 
C.  was  a  most  violent  opposer  of  religion.  He  had  not  been 
seen  in  the  house  of  God  for  many  years.  He  went  one 
evening  to  hear  Mr.  Nettleton  in  a  school-house,  but  being 
ashamed  to  be  seen,  he  stopped  at  the  door.  While  standing 
in  this  situation,  an  arrow  from  the  Almighty's  quiver  pierced 
his  heart.  He  went  away  with  a.  troubled  spirit.  He  was 
convinced  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  exposed  to  the  wrath  of 
heaven.  But  he  resisted  the  conviction,  and  endeavored  to 
banish  the  subject  from  his  mind.  It  was  however  impossi- 
ble. The  thought  was  impressed  upon  his  mind,  as  he  after- 
wards confessed,  "  You  must  repent — you  must  pray,  or  you 
will  perish."  His  heart  replied,  "  I  pray  ! — no,  never.  I'U 
7* 


78  M  E  M  O  I  JR.     OF 

perish  first."  Thus  he  struggled  till  his  distress  became  intol- 
erable. He  was  one  night  in  such  horror  of  mind,  that  it 
seemed  to  him  that  he  could  not  live  till  morning.  The  scene 
was  awfully  solemn.  To  see  this  bold  blasphemer,  bewailing 
his  sinfulness  and  crying  for  mercy,  in  distress  and  anguish 
which  seemed  too  great  for  human  nature  to  sustain,  was  a 
most  affecting  sight.  The  next  day  he  obtained  peace,  and 
seemed  to  be  in  a  new  world.  This  man  became  a  preacher 
of  righteousness  to  his  former  associates.  On  the  next  Sab- 
bath morning  he  was  seen  on  the  steps  of  the  church  conver- 
sing with  deep  interest  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  recom- 
mending to  his  fellow  sinners  that  Saviour,  whom  he  had 
found  so  precious  to  his  soul.  Such  was  the  change  in  this 
individual,  that  it  extorted  the  confession  from  the  mouths  of 
gainsayers,  that  it  must  be  the  finger  of  God.  He  could  say 
with  truth, 

"  Great  is  the  work,  my  neighbors  cried. 
And  owned  thy  power  divine  , 
Great  is  the  work,  my  heart  replied. 
And  be  the  glory  thine." 

This  striking  display  of  divine  grace  was  made  instrumental 
of  promoting  and  extending  the  work. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  work,  the 
following  facts  have  been  communicated  by  the  Rev.  Fosdic 
Harrison,  of  Bethlem,  who  was,  at  the  time,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Roxbury,  a  town  adjoining  Bridge  water. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1816,  when  Mr.  Nettleton  was  laboring 
at  Bridgewater,  he  was  frequently  at  my  house.  On  one  oc- 
casion, having  been  with  me  a  day  or  two,  I  was  expecting  his 
assistance  at  an  evening  meeting  ;  but  a  short  time  before  the 
hour  of  meeting,  he  manifested  his  intention  to  return  to  Bridge- 
water.  I  urged  him  to  stay  and  attend  the  meeting,  but  he 
still  declined.  We  went  together  from  the  study  into  Mrs. 
Harrison's  room.  She  was  then  in  feeble  health.  On  learn- 
ing his  determination  to  leave,  she  most  earnestly  entreated 


DR.     IS  E  T  T  L  E  T  O  N  .  3  0 

him  to  remain.  Among  other  things  she  said,  'Do  stay,  Mr. 
Nettleton,  I  am  unable  to  attend  the  meeting  myself,  but  if  you 
will  stay,  I  will  pray  for  you  all  the  time.'  We  went  out 
together,  and  he  left,  but  her  earnest  entreaties  went  with  him, 
and  troubled  him.  Soon  after  this,  he  heard  she  was  danger- 
ously ill.  He  came  directly  over  and  said,  '  Brother,  learning 
that  you  was  in  deep  affliction,  I  have  come  to  pray  with  you. 
We  retired  and  bowed  down  together  before  God.  Some  of 
his  earnest  petitions  I  still  remember,  commencing  thus — 'Oh, 
Lord  Jesus,  she,  whom  thou  lovest,  is  sick.'  Soon  after  this, 
he  came  to  attend  her  funeral.  He  remembered  his  refusal 
to  yield  to  her  importunate  solicitations  to  attend  the  meeting  ; 
and  that  he  might  comply  with  her  entreaties  as  far  as  he  then 
could,  he  requested  that  a  meeting  might  be  appointed  for  that 
evening  at  the  house  where  she  died.  While  the  other  breth- 
ren went  from  the  funeral  to  a  monthly  meeting  of  ministers 
in  New  Milford,  and  urged  him  to  go  with  them,  he  remained 
and  attended  the  meeting  in  Roxbury.  The  last  conversation 
he  had  with  Mrs.  Harrison,  the  solicitude  she  manifested  in 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people,  her  promise  to  pray  for 
him  and  them,  were  the  theme  of  his  discourse.  He  remind- 
ed the  people  that  her  prayers  for  them  were  ended.  His 
appeals  were  powerful.  Impressions  were  made,  which,  I 
trust,  resulted  in  the  saving  conversion  of  some  souls.  He 
remained  with  me  a  day  or  two,  and  his  counsels  and  prayers 
were  truly  refreshing." 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  Mr.  Nettleton  spent  some  time  in 
Torrington,  assisting  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gillet.  There  was  some 
special  seriousness  among  the  people,  previous  to  his  arrival : 
but  it  greatly  increased  afterwards.  He  remained  in  Tor- 
rington about  three  months.  His  labors  were  highly  appre- 
ciated by  the  pastor  and  members  of  the  church,  and  were 
manifestly  attended  by  a  divine  blessing.  The  Rev.  John  A. 
McKinstry,  present  pastor  of  the  church,  in  a  letter  dated  June 
12,  1844,  says,  "How  long  the  revival  continued,  I  cannot 


80  M  E  M  OIK     OF 

definitely  state.  At  the  communion  in  November,  the  first 
fruits  were  gathered  into  the  church ;  and  in  the  January  fol- 
lowing, several  more  were  added.  The  number  that  joined 
at  these  seasons,  was  about  fifty.  Others  were  added  at  sub- 
sequent seasons,  but  the  precise  number  I  cannot  state.  It  is 
reported,  however,  by  those  acquainted,  that  the  number  of 
hopeful  conversions  was  about  seventy. 

"  In  regard  to  the  revival,  I  may  say,  it  extended  through 
the  parish,  and  was  quite  powerful.  Even  at  this  period, 
when  first  impressions  have  gone,  the  revival  of  1816  is  called 
the  revival  in  Torrington,  there  having  been  none  since  of 
equal  extent  and  power.  The  subjects  of  that  work,  with  few 
exceptions,  have  adorned  their  profession,  and  some  of  them 
have  been,  and  still  are,  pillars  in  the  church.  The  influence 
of  this  revival  upon  the  church,  and  upon  the  community,  was 
in  a  high  degree  salutary. 

"  The  work  was  solemn,  and  the  truths  presented  plain  and 
searching.  The  true  character  and  condition  of  the  sinner 
was  clearly  set  before  him,  and  he  was  shown  that  his  only 
hope  was  in  the  sovereign  mercy  of  God  through  a  crucified 
Saviour. 

"  The  measures  adopted,  were  such  as  were  common  in 
this  region  at  that  time  ;  such  as  the  ministry  of  the  word  on 
the  Sabbath — frequent  visitation,  connected  with  personal 
conversation  on  the  subject  of  religion  ;  and  more  or  less 
prayer  meetings  during  the  week.  In  personal  conversation, 
Mr.  Nettleton  is  said  to  have  abounded,  and  many  attributed 
their  religious  impressions  to  the  truth  presented  at  such 
times." 

From  Torrington  Mr.  Nettleton  went  to  Waterbury,  a  town 
in  the  north  part  of  New  Haven  county.  Here  a  revival  had 
already  commenced.  There  is  an  account  of  this  revival  in 
the  second  volume  of  the  Religious  Intelligencer,  from  which 
I  make  the  following  extract. 

"Towards  the  close  of  the  summer  (1816)  it  was  the  will 


DR.    NETTLETON.  81 

of  God  that  our  pastor  should  be  laid  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  and 
for  some  time,  little  hopes  were  entertained  of  his  recovery. 
He  was  however  spared,  and  his  health  so  far  restored,  as"  to 
enable  him  to  commence  preaching  towards  the- close  of  the 
succeeding  winter  ;  and  though  still  feeble,  we  enjoyed  his 
labors  with  some  interruption,  till  sometime  in  June  follow- 
ing, when  he  was  obliged  to  desist,  from  returning  and  increas- 
ing debility. 

"  Thus  it  pleased  the  Great  Head  of  the  church,  to  deprive 
us  of  the  services  of  our  teacher,  at  a  time  when,  to  human 
appearance,  they  seemed  to  be  most  needed.  In  the  mean 
time,  whatever  impressions  were  made  by  former  meetings, 
or  whatever  serious  effects  might  be  expected  to  arise  from 
the  heavy  judgments  with  which  we,  as  a  people  had  been 
visited,*  they  appeared  to  be  lost  upon  us. 

"  Vice,  immorality  and  irreligion,  appeared  to  gain  additional 
strength,  and  the  cloud  that  overshadowed  us  in  a  moral  point 
of  view,  appeared  fraught  with  tenfold  darkness. 

"  But  in  the  midst  of  all  these  scenes  of  discouragement, 
this  day  of  trouble,  rebuke  and  blasphemy,  God's  children  did 
not  despair.  They  stayed  themselves  on  the  God  of  Jacob  ; 
and  while  waiting  for  an  answer  to  their  prayers,  knew  that  he 
had  also  said,  '  fear  not  little  flock,  it  is  your  Father's  good 
pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.' 

"  He  was  about  to  appear  to  build  up  the  waste  places  of 
Zion,  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  convince  us,  that  the  work  was 
His,  and  that  the  glory  alone  was  due  to  him.  He  hath  said, 
•  mine  honor  is  mine  own,  and  my  glory  I  will  not  give  to 
another.'     '  I  will  work,  and  who  shall  let  it  ? ' 

"  In  the  month  of  February,  a  small  society  of  young  ladies 
commenced  a  weekly  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  reading  the 
scriptures  and  religious  conversation,  and  one  or  two  soon 
became  hopefully  pious. 

*  A  mortal  sickness  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1815. 


82 


M  E  M  O  I  R    O  F 


"  On  the  7th  of  April,  1816,  our  hearts  were  cheered  by 
seeing  four  young  persons  come  out  from  the  world,  unite  with 
the  church,  own  Christ  before  men,  and  covenant  to  walk  with 
him  in  newness  of  spirit. 

':  About  the  forepart  of  May,  one  general  spirit  of  zeal  ap- 
peared to  actuate  a  great  proportion  of  the  church.  The  spirit 
of  grace  and  supplication  appeared  to  be  poured  upon  them. 
A  concert  of  prayer  for  the  revival  of  God's  work  in  this  place 
was  agreed  on,  in  which  all  the  members  were  to  be  engaged 
in  secret  between  the  hours  of  eight  and  nine  o'clock  on  Sat- 
urday evening.  The  monthly  prayer  meetings  for  the  success 
of  missions,  began  to  be  more  generally  attended,  and  became 
more  deeply  interesting. 

"  A  serious  and  solemn  attention  on  the  Sabbath,  now  ap- 
peared to  pervade  the  whole  assembly  ;  and  though  sometimes 
deprived  of  the  regular  administration  of  the  word,  our  meet- 
ings were  interesting  and  instructive. 

Sometime  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  it  had  been  stated  to  the 

writer  of  this,  that  a  Mr. ,  (who  had  formerly  been  an 

open  opposer  of  vital  religion,)  and  some  few  others,  had  man- 
ifested a  desire  to  commence  a  weekly  meeting  for  religious 
conversation  and  prayer.  He  accordingly  called  on  one  or 
two  of  the  persons  named,  and  a  meeting  consisting  of  four 
only  was  held  on  Sabbath  evening. 

"  In  this  meeting,  the  person  alluded  to  above,  declared  what 
God  had  done  for  his  soul — mourned  over  his  past  conduct, 
and  expressed  his  determination  to  devote  himself  to  the  ser- 
vice of  God  in  future. 

"  The  meeting  was  opened  and  closed  with  prayer.  A 
stated  meeting  was  agreed  on.  The  next  evening,  about 
twelve  attended.  Information  began  now  to  get  abroad,  and 
on  the  third  evening  about  sixty  were  present.  On  the  fourth 
evening,  so  great  was  the  crowd  that  attended,  they  could  not 
all  be  accommodated,  though  the  house  was  large  and  conve- 


DE.    NETTLETON.  83 

nient ;  and  it  became  necessary  after  this,  to  hold  them  at  the 
meeting  house. 

"  This,  I  think,  may  be  fairly  stated  as  the  first  visible  com- 
mencement of  the  work. 

"  Numbers  now  appeared  to  be  under  deep  conviction  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  society.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Beecher,  of 
Litchfield,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton,  (at  that  time  preaching 
at  Torrington,)  were  present  on  the  next  Lord's  day  ;  and  at 
a  meeting  appointed  for  the  purpose  on  Monday  morning,  a 
considerable  number  appeared  to  ask  the  all-important  ques- 
tion, '  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ? '  Mr.  Nettleton  was  with 
some  difficulty  prevailed  upon  to  come  and  assist  us  in  our 
then  destitute  situation,  and  returned  here  on  the  Saturday 
following. 

"  From  this  time  his  labors  became  incessant,  and  his  dil- 
igence unwearied.  When  not  attending  a  public  conference, 
the  house  was  generally  thronged  by  numbers  who  were  anx- 
iously inquiring  the  way  to  Zion,  and  to  whom  he  was  ever 
ready  to  impart  instruction. 

"  Our  worthy  pastor,  though  unable  to  attend  on  public 
duties,  had  the  cheering  prospect  of  seeing  the  work  of  the 
Lord  prospering  among  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  the  fields 
ripening  for  a  rich  harvest  of  souls  to  be  gathered  into  Christ's 
spiritual  kingdom.  The  work  had  now  become  very  exten- 
sive and  powerful  ;  and  one  remarkable  characteristic  feature 
was,  it  seemed  to  attack  and  subdue  the  very  champions  of 
infidelity  the  first,  and  to  operate  in  such  a  way  as  to  silence 
the  most  daring  opposers. 

"  In  some  instances,  one  or  two  of  a  family  seemed  to  be 
taken,  and  the  others  left.  But  in  many,  almost  whole  fam- 
ilies, (or  at  least,  all  who  had  arrived  at  years  of  discretion,) 
were  under  deep  conviction,  and  have  since  subscribed  with 
their  own  right  hands  to  be  the  Lord's,  and  surnamed  them- 
selves by  the  God  of  Jacob." 

This  work,  in  its  general  features,  has  been  similar  to  what 


84  MEMOIR    OF 

has  been  in  other  places.  It  has  embraced  all  the  variety  of 
operations,  from  the  still  small  voice,  to  the  most  powerful 
threatenings  of  a  broken  law,  and  the  vindictive  justice  of  a 
justly  offended  God  ;  and  has  embraced  all  ages,  from  youth 
to  grey  hairs ;  though  of  the  youth  and  middle  aged,  by  far 
the  greatest  number  have  been  brought  to  see  their  need  of 
an  interest  in  Christ,  and  led  to  embrace  him  as  their  only 
Saviour. 

"  In  the  month  of  August,  some  of  the  first  fruits  of  the 
revival,  (together  with  some  few  who  had  entertained  a  hope 
before,)  were  gathered  into  the  church.  On  this  occasion, 
seventeen  were  added ;  nine  more  in  the  month  of  October  ; 
and  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  February,  1817,  seventy-one  pub- 
licly professed  their  faith  in  Christ,  and  took  the  vows  of  God 
upon  them  ;  and  seventeen  received  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
Twenty-one  have  united  themselves  with  the  church  at  differ- 
ent times  since,  making  one  hundred  and  eighteen  since  the 
first  of  August,  1816;  about  one  hundred  and  ten  of  whom 
may  be  considered  as  fruits  of  the  revival.  Many  more  re- 
main yet  to  be  gathered  in ;  and  so  far  as  the  writer  of  this 
has  been  able  to  discover,  no  instance  of  apostacy  has  yet 
appeared.* 

"  The  doctrines  taught  are  those  considered  as  the  grand 
leading  truths  of  the  gospel,  viz.:  the  strict  spirituality  of  the 
moral  law — the  total  depravity  of  the  natural  heart — its  enmity 
to  God — the  necessity  of  regeneration  by  the  spirit  of  his 
grace — an  entire  dependence  on  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ 
for  justification,  pardon  and  acceptance — our  obligations  to 
own  him  before  men,  and  to  manifest  our  faith  in  him  by  a 
holy  walk  and  conversation — the  divine  sovereignty — the 
electing  love  of  God — and  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints, 
as  the  only  ground  of  the  sinner's  hope,  and  the  anchor  of 
the  christian's  soul." 

*  This  account  was  written  in  July,  1817. 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  b5 

Mr.  Nettleton  continued  his  labors  in  Waterbury,  amid 
scenes  of  thrilling  interest,  for  several  months. 

After  he  left  Waterbury,  he  spent  some  time  in  Bolton, 
taking  care  of  his  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parmele,  who  was 
laboring  under  mental  derangement,  and  supplying  his  pulpit. 

In  the  fall  of  1817,  he  was  requested  to  preach  at  Upper 
Middletown,  for  the  Rev.  Mr.  Williams  who  was  sick.  There 
was  no  special  seriousness  in  this  place.  On  the  contrary 
great  spiritual  apathy  prevailed.  The  youth  were  exceedingly 
thoughtless,  and  addicted  to  vain  amusements.  Soon  after  he 
commenced  his  labors  here,  he  became  acquainted  with  a  very 
intelligent  young  lady,  who  had  long  been  seriously  inclined, 
and  who  was  thought  by  many  to  be  truly  pious.  She  handed 
him  Marshall  on  sanctification,  and  said,  "  if  I  dared  believe 
that  book,  I  should  think  I  was  a  christian."  "  I  am  glad," 
said  Mr.  Nettleton,  "you  dare  not  believe  it."  These  words 
went  to  her  heart.  She  immediately  became  exceedingly 
anxious,  and  was  soon  brought  to  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory 
of  God. 

After  he  had  preached  in  this  place  two  or  three  Sabbaths, 
there  were  some  cases  of  special  seriousness  ;  but  under- 
standing that  the  young  people  had  appointed  a  ball  on  the  day 
after  the  annual  Thanksgiving,  he  expressed  the  purpose  of 
leaving  the  place.  The  young  people,  hearing  of  his  purpose, 
concluded  to  give  up  their  ball,  and  sent  a  committee  to  invite 
him  to  preach  to  them  on  that  evening.  He  very  readily  accept- 
ed the  invitation.  The  meeting  was  appointed  in  the  Acad- 
emy. A  large  congregation  of  youth  assembled.  Some  came 
from  other  towns.  This  meeting  was  one  of  thrilling  interest. 
Some  wrho  had  been  previously  awakened  wTere  brought  to 
rejoice  in  hope,  and  great  numbers  were  brought  under  deep 
and  powerful  conviction.  God  made  the  word  "quick  and 
powerful,  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to 
the  dividing  asunder  of  the  soul  and  the  spirit,  the  joints  and 
the  marrow."  The  scenes  of  that  evening  will  be  remem- 
8 


86  MEMOIR    OF 

bered  by  not  a  few,  while  immortality  endures.  Several  in 
deep  distress  followed  Mr.  Nettleton  to  his  lodgings.  He 
prayed  with  them,  and  with  great  difficulty  persuaded  them  to 
retire  to  their  homes.  Many  spent  the  night  in  crying  for 
mercy,  and  several  found  peace  before  morning.  From  this 
time,  the  work  became  very  powerful.  Meetings  of  inquiry 
were  held  at  the  house  of  the  pastor,  but  the  place  became 
too  strait,  and  God  provided  one  of  greater  convenience.  A 
man  who  owned  a  large  ball-room,  and  who  had  been  a  bitter 
enemy  to  religion,  was  awakened  and  hopefully  brought  to 
repentance.     He  opened  his  ball-room  for  meetings  of  inquiry. 

Mr.  Nettleton  labored  in  this  place  a  number  of  months, 
and  was  made  instrumental,  as  there  is  reason  to  believe,  of 
the  conversion  of  many  souls. 

The  Rev.  Zebulon  Crocker,  the  present  pastor  of  the  church, 
in  a  letter  dated  December  15th,  1843,  speaking  of  the  converts 
in  this  revival,  says  : 

"  Among  the  males  who  are  members  of  this  church,  there 
are  several  who  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day, 
and  borne  it  well.  They  have  been  pillars  in  the  temple  of 
our  God,  and  are  so  still.  There  are  others  who  have  gone 
from  us  and  united  with  churches  abroad,  whose  names  appear 
connected  with  the  public  charities  of  the  day,  and  who  are 
known  to  be  bright  and  shining  lights  in  the  world.  Similar 
remarks  apply  to  the  female  members.  Several  have  died  in 
the  faith.  As  a  whole,  I  think  I  have  evidence  on  which  to 
affirm,  that  they  have  run  well,  and  have  received  a  good  re- 
port."    Speaking  of  the  results  of  that  revival,  he  says : 

"  In  the  fall  of  1817,  the  church  was  in  a  '  cold  state'  as 
some  have  expressed  it.  Religion,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  was 
at  a  low  ebb.  The  blessed  work  of  the  Spirit  which  imme- 
diately succeeded,  it  is  to  me  evident,  changed  very  much  the 
aspect  of  affairs  for  the  better,  as  a  permanent  result.  It  gave 
moral  courage  and  strength  to  the  church.  Some  who  had 
become    members  without  piety,  were  hopefully  converted. 


DR.      NETTLE  TO  X.  87 

Faith  in  regard  to  the  efficacy  of  the  gospel,  was  encouraged. 
Christians  desired  a  renewal  of  the  work,  and  were  prepared 
to  labor  and  pray  for  another  season  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  The  way  was  prepared  for  the  more 
frequent  revivals  with  which  the  church  has  been  blessed." 

During  the  revival  in  Upper  Middletown,  a  few  individuals 
from  Rocky  Hill,  an  adjoining  parish,  attended  some  of  Mr. 
Nettleton's  meetings,  and  became  anxious  for  their  souls. 
The  seriousness  spread,  and  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chapin,  Mr.  Nettleton  visited  that  place. 
He  arrived  on  Saturday,  April  4th,  1818. 

"  When  he  arrived,"  says  Dr.  Chapin,  "  there  was  a  meet- 
ing in  the  house  of  the  pastor.  At  the  same  place,  in  the 
evening,  there  was  another — which  brother  Nettleton  atten- 
ded. His  acquaintance  with  the  state  of  the  public  mind 
among  us,  began  that  evening.  From  that  time,  during  the 
greater  part  of  several  months,  he  was  indefatigable,  laboring 
in  season,  and  out  of  season,  to  the  full  extent  of  his  health 
and  strength.  In  connection  wTith  impressions  and  experience 
realized  in  1818,  eighty-four  persons  became  members  of 
Christ's  visible  church.  How  many  of  them  were  brought  to 
this  performance  of  external  duty  by  brother  Nettleton's  labors, 
we  shall  know  hereafter.  How  many  of  their  names,  or 
whether  all,  will  be  found  written  in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life, 
we  shall  see  at  the  opening  of  that  perfect  book.  During  the 
almost  twenty-six  years  that  have  fled,  since  the  delightful 
and  interesting  events  above  mentioned,  it  appears  that  twenty- 
five  of  the  eighty-four  have  gone  the  way  of  all  the  earth. 
Their  departure  was  either  while  resident  here,  or  in  some 
distant  location.  Fifteen  also  of  the  same  fourscore  and  four, 
have  removed  from  us,  and  so  far  as  we  know,  are  yet  living. 
So  far  as  man  can  judge,  those  eighty-four  have  adorned  the 
doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour,  in  a  manner  equal,  at  least,  to 
the  fruits  of  those  other  revivals,  which  Christ  has  permitted 
us  to  enjoy, 


88  M  E  M  0  1  R     O  F 

"In  an  important  sense,  brother  Nettleton's  talent  was  one. 
In  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  that  one,  he  was  unwea- 
ried. By  the  concentration  of  study,  always  directed  to  the 
most  useful  point,  which  is  practical  piety,  that  talent  had  risen 
to  the  first  order.  Hence  the  depth  and  exactness  of  his 
knowledge  in  true  experience,  and  the  things  which  are  essen- 
tial to  salvation.  Hence  too,  the  quickness  of  discernment 
relative  to  the  specific  instruction,  and  the  manner  of  impart- 
ing instruction,  that  every  mind  needed  with  which  he  came 
in  contact. 

"  He  had  a  quick  and  precise  perception  of  the  sources 
whence  objectors  and  cavilers  draw  their  difficulties.  In  re- 
plies, showing  the  true  answer,  and  the  only  remedy,  he  was 
ready,  appropriate,  generally  silencing,  and  not  rarely  con- 
vincing. 

"  In  the  whole  of  his  intercourse,  he  was  exemplary.  He 
was  remarkably  cautious  of  appearances.  He  would  not 
expose  himself  or  his  cause  to  reproach,  by  giving  so  much  as 
the  least  occasion  for  the  surmises  of  evil.  If  Satan's  follow- 
ers attempted  the  propagation  of  injurious  reports,  they  were 
obliged  to  go  far  away  from  us  for  their  foundation.  The 
rumors  thus  procured,  and  put  in  motion,  always,  if  investi- 
gated, proved  to  be  false,  and  infernally  malicious.  Even  the 
subtile  vigilance  of  the  evil  Spirit,  could  find,  in  his  conduct 
here,  no  foundation  for  its  eagerly  coveted  slanders." 

In  October,  1818,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  preaching  in 
Ashford,  a  town  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut.  His 
labors  soon  began  to  be  crowned  with  success.  In  his  journal 
under  date  of  Nov.  4,  he  mentions  "  One  rejoicing."  Nov. 
6,  "  Five  or  six  rejoicing."  Nov.  8,  "  Very  full.  Such  a 
Sabbath  is  rarely  seen."  The  work  now  became  powerful, 
and  made  rapid  progress.  Mr.  Nettleton  labored  in  Ashford 
without  intermission  about  two  months,  and  preached  there 
occasionally  afterwards.  Of  the  results  of  his  labors,  the 
reader  will  be  able  to  form  some  opinion  from  the  following 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  89 

extract  of  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Charles  Hyde,  the  present 
pastor  of  the  church,  dated  May  30th,  1844. 

"  With  respect  to  our  departed  brother's  labors  in  this  place, 
I  know  but  little,  except  what  I  learn  from  the  records  of  the 
church,  and  the  recollections  of  some  who  were  then  living 
here.  That  he  was.  remarkably  wise,  fervent,  skillful,  and 
successful,  all  bear  testimony  ;  and  all,  especially  those  who 
were  brought  into  the  kingdom  through  his  labors,  cherish  a 
most  affectionate  and  grateful  remembrance  of  him.  His 
influence  here  was  permanently  good.  It  is  felt  at  the  pres- 
ent day.  He  commenced  his  labors  here,  in  Oct.,  1818.  The 
first  additions  to  the  church  were  in  March,  when  fifty-six 
were  received.  In  May  following,  twelve,  and  in  July  ten, 
and  in  November  four  ;  making  in  all  eighty-two,  of  whom,  I 
suppose,  the  greater  part,  if  not  all,  were  subjects  of  that  re- 
vival.    This  is  a  very  large  number  for  so  small  a  society. 

"  Of  the  character  of  these  converts,  I  cannot  speak  partic- 
ularly, except  of  those  who  are  now  here.  Twenty-two  have 
died.  Twenty-seven  have  removed  from  the  place.  Three 
only  have  been  excommunicated.  The  remainder,  are,  with 
hardly  an  exception,  now  consistent  members — some  of  them 
pillars  in  the  Church.  Many  of  those  who  have  left  us,  I  am 
informed,  continue  to  adorn  their  profession.  Upon  the  whole, 
I  think  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  revival  here  under  Dr. 
Nettleton's  labors,  was  a  remarkably  pure  one  ;  and  happy  is 
the  church  that  receives  such  a  blessing.  Its  influence  goes 
down  to  succeeding  generations." 

In  the  month  of  December,  1818,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced 
his  labors  in  Eastford.  Here  was  a  small  church,  destitute  of 
a  pastor,  and  in  a  very  depressed  condition.  The  influence 
of  their  last  minister,  who  became  a  universalist,  was  very 
disastrous  to  the  cause  of  religion.  He  had  been  dismissed 
about  four  years,  when  Mr.  Nettleton  visited  the  place. 

"  During  this  interval,"  says  their  present  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Francis  Williams,  "  they  were  supplied  some  part  of  the  time 
8* 


90  MEMOIR    OF 

by  such  preachers  as  they  could  obtain ;  some  part  of  the 
time,  the  deacons  conducted  meetings  on  the  Sabbath,  and  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  time,  they  had  no  public  worship. 

"  During  this  state  of  things,  the  interests  of  religion  greatly 
declined,  and  the  light  of  the  church  was  well  nigh  extin- 
guished. According  to  the  most  correct  information  which  I 
can  obtain,  there  were  but  about,  twenty  members  in  the  church, 
and  only  six  male  members.  Most  of  these  were  persons 
advanced  in  life.  At  this  critical  period,  Mr.  Nettleton  came 
among  the  people.  A  powerful  work  of  grace  immediately 
commenced,  such  as  neither  they,  nor  their  fathers  had  seen. 
He  preached  the  distinguishing  doctrines  of  grace  so  point- 
edly, that  persons  have  often  informed  me,  they  felt  themselves 
in  the  hands  and  at  the  disposal  of  God.  They  felt  that  if 
they  were  ever  saved  from  their  dreadful  depravity  and  wretch- 
edness, it  must  be  by  sovereign  grace.  He  made  practical 
application  of  these  doctrines  to  the  heart  and  conscience  in 
such  a  plain  and  forcible  manner,  that  they  felt  that  if  they 
were  lost,  they  should  be  without  excuse. 

"  The  work  was  characterized  by  such  stillness  and  power, 
that  every  one  felt  that  the  finger  of  God  was  in  it.  To  re- 
peat a  remark  made  by  an  observer  at  the  time,  *  it  was  so 
evidently  the  work  of  God  that  not  a  dog  dared  move  his 
tongue.'  I  am  not  able  to  ascertain  the  number  who  indulged 
hope.  I  find  by  the  church  records  that  forty-eight  united 
with  the  church  by  profession,  March  28th,  1819,  and  in  June 
following  eleven  more,  making  in  all,  fifty-nine  by  profession. 
Several  were  also  added  by  letter.  This  in  the  then  existing 
state  of  the  church,  was  life  from  the  dead.  The  church  was 
soon  after  supplied  with  a  faithful  pastor,  who  labored  here  for 
more  than  twenty  years ;  and  the  church  has  been  on  the 
whole,  prosperous. 

"  Of  those  admitted  to  the  church  as  fruits  of  this  revival, 
fifteen  have  left  this  world,  while  the  rest  continue  unto  this 
present.     Most  of  them  have  given  pleasing  evidence  of  piety. 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  91 

No  one  acquainted  with  the  facts,  can  doubt  that  the  cause  of 
Christ  was  greatly  promoted  by  the  labors  of  Mr.  Nettleton. 
And  perhaps  so  few  evils  seldom  follow  a  great  revival  in  any 
place. 

11  You  ask,  how  is  Mr.  Nettleton  regarded  by  the  good  peo- 
ple in  Eastford  ?  They  look  up  to  him  with  the  most  ardent 
affection  as  a  spiritual  father.  This  may  be  ascertained  by 
any  one  who  will  mention  his  name  in  their  hearing.  He 
will  see  indisputable  proof  of  affectionate  regard." 

In  the  month  of  April,  1819,  Mr.  Nettleton  went  to  Bolton, 
where  he  remained  two  or  three  months,  laboring  with  his 
friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parmele.  It  appears  from  an  account 
published  by  Mr.  Parmele,  in  the  Religious  Intelligencer  for 
November,  1820,  that  sometime  previous  to  Mr.  Nettleton's 
arrival,  there  had  been  an  unusual  spirit  of  prayer  among  the 
people  of  God.     But  God  saw  fit  to  try  their  faith. 

"  While,"  says  Mr.  Parmele,  "  christians  were  thus  daily 
wrestling  in  prayer,  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  were 
committing  the  cause  of  religion  into  the  hands  of  God,  their 
faith  and  patience  were  brought  to  the  test.  Satan,  as  though 
aware  that  his  kingdom  was  soon  to  receive  an  attack,  rallied 
his  forces,  and  marshaled  his  bands  to  make  resistance.  In- 
iquity rushed  in  like  a  flood.  The  youth  who,  we  expected, 
would  be  awakened,  if  our  prayers  were  answered,  were 
generally  never  more  dissolute.  Their  minds  were  supremely 
occupied  with  scenes  of  mirth  and  parties  of  pleasure.  If 
they  received  any  impressions  on  the  Sabbath,  or  at  a  reli- 
gious meeting  during  the  week,  they  were  soon  banished 
through  the  influence  of  worldly  companions  and  vain  amuse- 
ments. 

"  To  counteract  the  influence  of  these  things,  in  the  month 
of  April  (about  the  time  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  his  labors 
in  Bolton,)  meetings  were  appointed  for  religious  conver- 
sation with  the  youth,  which  were  generally  well  attended, 
and  soon  became   interesting.     At  one  of  these  meetings. 


92 


MEMOIR    OF 


eight  or  ten  of  the  youth  were  alarmed  with  a  sense  of  their 
sins.  Their  convictions  deepened,  until  they  became  over- 
whelming ;  and  within  a  few  days  they  were  brought  to  re- 
joice in  hope.  This  spread  conviction  like  an  electric  shock, 
through  the  society  of  young  people,  until  it  was  evident  that 
the  Lord  had  appeared  in  his  glory  to  build  up  Zion.  The 
volatile  youth  could  no  longer  resist  the  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit;  but  in  deep  solemnity,  were  daily  inquiring 
what  they  should  do  to  be  saved.  Vain  amusements  were 
entirely  suspended.  Scenes  of  pleasure  were  forsaken  ;  and 
the  trifles  of  time  were  lost  in  the  awful  concerns  of  eternity. 
No  object  could  divert  the  anxious  mind  from  inquiring  the 
way  to  life. 

"  The  convictions  of  the  subjects  of  this  work,  were  deep, 
increased  rapidly,  and  were  of  short  continuance.  Uncon- 
ditional submission  was  urged,  as  the  only  ground  of  accept- 
ance with  God.  And  as  soon  as  this  was  exercised,  in  most 
instances,  the  sinner  was  filled  with  joy.  One  expressed 
herself  thus,  '  I  attempted  to  pray  for  mercy,  while  in  my 
sins,  but  my  conscience  flashed  conviction  in  my  face. 
What !  will  such  a  sinner  as  you  attempt  to  pray !  You  are 
so  vile,  your  prayers  will  not  be  heard.  I  then  felt  the  rea- 
sonableness of  my  condemnation  so  forcibly,  that  I  took  up  on 
the  side  of  justice,  and  pleaded  the  cause  of  God  against 
myself.     In  this  condition,  I  soon  found  relief.' 

"  May  and  June,  with  us,  were  interesting  months.  Most 
of  the  subjects  of  this  revival,  became  reconciled  to  God, 
during  this  period.  On  the  first  Sabbath  in  July,  thirty-five 
united  with  the  church,  nine  of  whom  received  the  ordinance 
of  baptism.  This  was  a  day  so  interesting,  that  the  solemn 
scenes  which  transpired  can  never  be  forgotten.  The  youth, 
the  middle  aged,  and  the  aged,  composed  this  number.  On 
the  first  Sabbath  in  September,  twenty-one  united  with  the 
church,  and  two  have  been  added  since,  making  in  the  whole, 
fifty-nine.     Five  living  in  families  not  connected   with  my 


D  R  .     N  E  T  T  L  E  T  o  N  .  93 

society,  have  united  with  the  Baptist  church.  The  subjects 
of  this  revival  are  of  all  ages,  from  twelve  years  old,  to  up- 
wards of  sixty  ;  but  by  far  the  greater  portion  are  youth. 

"  We  would  express  our  gratitude  to  those  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  who  occasionally  preached  for  us,  during  this  revi- 
val ;  and  especially  to  Mr.  Nettleton,  whose  labors  were  sig- 
nally blessed.  We  trust  the  Lord  will  reward  them  for  their 
labors  of  love.  But  we  desire  to  look  beyond  all  instruments, 
to  the  great  first  cause,  and  as  a  church  and  people,  to  ex- 
press our  unfeigned  gratitude  to  the  Father  of  all  mercies,  for 
this  work  of  his  grace.  This  is  the  Lord's  work,  and  it  is 
marvelous  in  our  eyes ;  and  to  his  great  name  be  ascribed  the 
kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  -glory  forever" 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Labors  in  Saratoga  county  and  Nassau. 


In  July,  1819,  being  very  much  exhausted  by  his  labors  in 
Connecticut,  Mr.  Nettleton  repaired  to  Saratoga  Springs  for 
rest.  He  did  not  expect  to  preach  in  that  region,  as  his  sole 
object  was  to  recruit  his  strength.  After  he  had  been  there 
a  short  time,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tucker,  of  Stillwater,  (now  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Tucker,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,)  called  to  see  him. 
In  the  course  of  their  conversation,  something  was  said  re- 
specting waste  places.  This  led  Mr.  Tucker  to  give  him 
some  account  of  Malta,  a  town  in  that  vicinity,  which  had 
long  been  a  waste  place,  and  in  which  there  was  no  Presby- 
terian or  Congregational  church.  This  account  awakened  in 
Mr.  Nettleton  a  desire  to  visit  that  place.  Mr.  Tucker  kindly 
offered  to  accompany  him,  and  introduce  him  to  a  Mr.  Hunter, 
a  professor  of  religion,  and  a  very  respectable  and  worthy 
man.  They  spent  a  night  at  his  house,  and  attended  a  prayer 
meeting  with  a  few  neighbors  who  were  invited  in.  Mr. 
Nettleton  agreed  to  come  again  and  pass  a  Sabbath  with  them, 
and  accordingly,  on  the  first  day  of  August,  1819,  he  preached 
in  their  meeting  house  to  a  congregation  of  about  fifty  souls. 

On  Monday,  he  returned  to  Saratoga,  and  at  the  request  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Griswold,  attended  the  monthly  concert  in  the 
evening.  He  shortly  after,  attended  some  other  meetings, 
when  it  became  apparent  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  operating 
upon  the  minds  of  the  people.     Mr.  Nettleton  confined  his 


DR.    NETTLETON.  95 

labors  principally  to  Saratoga,  occasionally  preaching  at 
Malta,  till  November.  He  then  labored  most  of  the  time  in 
Malta,  occasionally  preaching  in  the  neighboring  towns,  until 
the  beginning  of  March,  when  he  went  to  Schenectady, 
where  he  continued  till  near  the  close  of  April.  The  revival 
which  began  at  Saratoga,  spread  into  Malta,  and  thence  into 
all  the  surrounding  region,  and  into  Union  College. 

While  Mr.  Nettleton  was  at  Schenectady,  he  wrote  to  a 
friend  in  Connecticut,  and  an  extract  of  the  letter  was  pub- 
lished in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  Religious  Intelligencer, 
which  I  here  insert. 

"  I  can  at  present,  give  you  nothing  more  than  the  outlines 
of  what  the  Lord  is  doing  for  this  section  of  his  church. 
This  region,  and  especially  the  county  of  Saratoga,  has  here- 
tofore been  as  destitute  of  revivals  of  religion,  as  any  part  of 
this  State.  The  commencement  of  this  work  was  at  Sara- 
toga Springs  last  summer.  At  that  place,  about  forty  have 
made  a  profession  of  religion.  These  include  some  of  the 
most  respectable  characters  in  the  village.  Directly  south,  is 
the  town  of  Malta.  For  a  number  of  years,  there  has  been 
no  Presbyterian  church  in  that  place.  But  the  year  past, 
there  has  been  a  very  interesting  revival  among  that  people. 
Our  meetings  have  been  crowded,  and  solemn  as  the  house 
of  death.  A  church  has  been  recently  organized,  which  now 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  five  members.  You  can  hardly 
imagine  the  interest  which  this  revival  excited  in  the  surround- 
ing region.  Although  the  inhabitants  are  scattered  over  a  large 
extent,  yet  I  verily  believe,  I  have  seen  more  than  fourteen 
hundred  people  assembled  at  once,  to  hear  the  gospel.  On 
the  east  of  Malta,  is  the  town  of  Stillwater.  Here,  also, 
there  has  been  a  very  powerful  revival.  Although  there  has 
been  some  excitement  to  serious  things  in  this  place  in  years 
past,  yet  this  revival  exceeds  any  they  have  ever  before  wit- 
nessed. On  the  27th  of  February  last,  one  hundred  and 
three  publicly  presented  themselves  a  living  sacrifice  unto  the 


96  MEMOIR    OF 

Lord  ;  and  about  one  hundred  more  are  rejoicing  in  hope,  and 
expect  soon  to  follow  their  example.  The  work  is  still  ad- 
vancing ;  numbers  are  under  conviction.  In  Ballston,  adjoin- 
ing Malta  on  the  west,  the  work  has  been  very  powerful.  At 
their  two  last  communions,  they  admitted  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  as  the  fruit  of  this  revival,  and  the  work  is  yet  in- 
creasing. Directly  north  is  the  town  of  Milton.  I  visited 
that  people  Sabbath  before  last,  and  preached  three  times  to 
a  crowded  and  solemn  assembly.  In  this  place,  a  revival  has 
just  commenced.  Twelve  are  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  a  num- 
ber more  are  anxious  for  their  souls.  Eight  miles  to  the 
northwest,  adjoining  Milton,  is  the  town  of  Galway.  Here 
the  work  is  overwhelming.  In  less  than  two  months  past, 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  have  been  brought  to  rejoice 
in  hope.  Dr.  Nott,  from  this  college,  visited  them  last  Sab- 
bath, and  admitted  ninety-five  to  the  church,  and  the  work  is 
still  progressing.  On  the  south  of  this,  is  Amsterdam.  Here 
fifty  have  recently  been  led  to  rejoice  in  hope.  Adjoining 
this,  is  a  place  called  Tripe's  Hill.  Here  thirty  are  rejoic- 
ing, and  the  work  in  both  these  places  is  increasing.  South 
from  Malta,  about  twelve  miles,  is  the  city  of  Schenectady, 
and  Union  College,  where  I  now  reside  with  Dr.  McAuley. 
He  takes  a  lively  interest  in  this  good  work.  I  first  became 
acquainted  with  him  last  summer  at  the  Springs,  and  more 
particularly  at  Malta,  where  he  frequently  visited  us,  and 
preached,  and  conversed,  and  attended  the  meetings  appoint- 
ed for  those  anxious  for  their  souls.  On  a  Sabbath,  when  a 
number  were  to  be  admitted  to  the  church  in  Malta,  he  brought 
with  him  a  number  of  students  from  the  college.  Some  of 
them  became  anxious.  About  this  time,  one  of  the  students 
was  called  into  the  eternal  world.  He  was  laid  out  in  Dr. 
McAuley's  study.  The  Dr.  was  anxious  to  improve  this 
solemn  providence  to  the  best  advantage.  He  assembled  the 
students  around  the  lifeless  remains  of  their  departed  friend, 
and  conversed  and  prayed  with  them  in  the  most  solemn  man- 


DR.    NETTLF.TON.  97 

ner.  A  number  of  them  engaged  to  attend  to  the  subject  of 
religion  in  earnest.  From  that  time,  many  of  the  students 
became  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  their  lost  condition. 
For  them  were  appointed  meetings  of  inquiry.  And  in  this 
very  room  where  they  lately  beheld  the  breathless  corpse  of 
their  young  companion,  and  where  I  am  now  writing,  was 
witnessed  a  scene  of  deep  and  awful  distress.  About  thirty 
of  the  students  are  brought  to  rejoice  in  hope.  The  revival 
is  nowT  very  powerful  in  the  city.  Such  a  scene  they  never 
before  witnessed.  More  than  one  hundred  have  been  brought 
to  rejoice  in  hope.  Besides  these,  we  had  more  than  two 
hundred  in  our  meeting  of  inquiry,  anxious  for  their  souls. 
We  met  in  a  large  upper  room  called  the  Masonic  Hall.  The 
room  was  so  crowded,  that  we  were  obliged  to  request  all  who 
had  recently  found  relief,  to  retire  below,  and  spend  their  time 
in  prayer  for  those  above.  This  evening  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. The  scene  is  beyond  description.  Did  you  ever 
witness  two  hundred  sinners,  with  one  accord  in  one  place, 
weeping  for  their  sins.  Until  you  have  seen  this,  you  can 
have  no  adequate  conceptions  of  the  solemn  scene.  I  felt  as 
though  I  was  standing  on  the  verge  of  the  eternal  world  ; 
while  the  floor  under  my  feet  was  shaken  by  the  trembling  of 
anxious  souls  in  view  of  a  judgment  to  come.  The  solemnity 
was  still  heightened,  when  every  knee  was  bent  at  the  throne 
of  grace,  and  the  intervening  silence  of  the  voice  of  prayer, 
was  interrupted  only  by  the  sighs  and  sobs  of  anxious  souls. 
I  have  no  time  to  relate  interesting  particulars.  I  only  add, 
that  some  of  the  most  stout,  hard-hearted,  heaven-daring 
rebels  have  been  in  the  most  awful  distress.  Within  a  circle 
whose  diameter  would  be  twenty-four  miles,  not  less  than 
eight  hundred  souls  have  been  hopefully  born  into  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  since  last  September.  The  same  glorious 
work  is  fast  spreading  into  other  towns  and  congregations. 
"  This  is  that  which  ivas  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel.'' 
9 


98  MEMOIR     OF 

The  above  letter  was  dated  Union  College,  April  28th, 
1820. 

In  the  same  volume  of  the  Religious  Intelligencer,  there  is 
a  letter  from  a  student  in  Union  College,  dated  March  6th, 
1820,  giving  a  very  similar  account  of  this  revival,  except  that 
it  had  made  greater  progress  at  the  date  of  Mr.  Nettleton  s 
letter.  I  quote  one  short  paragraph  from  this  letter,  to  show 
the  character  of  the  revival  in  Malta.  After  having  given 
some  account  of  the  revival  at  Saratoga  Springs,  the  writer 
says — "  It  commenced  then  in  Malta,  about  ten  miles  from 
this  place,  under  the  labors  of  a  Mr.  Nettleton,  a  missionary 
from  Connecticut.  It  commenced,  I  said  in  Malta  ;  and  with 
such  displays  of  the  power  of  God's  Spirit  in  crushing  the 
opposition  of  the  natural  heart  to  every  thing  holy,  as  are  very 
seldom  seen.  The  Deist  and  Universalist,  the  Drunkard, 
the  Gambler,  and  the  Swearer,  were  alike  made  the  subjects 
of  this  heart-breaking  work.  Four  months  ago,  Christ  had 
no  church  there.  It  was  a  place  of  great  spiritual  dearth — 
and  like  the  top  of  Gilboahad  never  been  wet  by  rain  or  dew. 
But  the  Lord  has  now  converted  that  wilderness  into  a  fruitful 
field.  They  have  an  organized  church  of  eighty-five  mem- 
bers, and  the  work  of  conviction  is  going  on." 

This  revival,  which  commenced  at  Saratoga  Springs,  and 
spread  into  the  surrounding  region,  resulted  in  the  hopeful 
conversion  of  not  less  than  two  thousand  souls. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1820,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  his 
labors  in  Nassau,  a  village  a  few  miles  east  of  Albany. 
Among  his  papers,  has  been  found  the  following  sketch  of  the 
revival  in  this  place.  Had  he  kept  a  similar  journal  of  his 
labors  in  all  the  places  in  which  he  preached,  it  would  have 
contained  a  vast  amount  of  interesting  intelligence.  But  this 
is  the  only  thing  of  the  kind  to  be  found  among  his  papers. 
It  is  here  given  as  presenting  a  specimen  of  the  revivals  which 
occurred  under  his  preaching. 


DR.     NETT  LITTON.  99 

"  A  sketch  of  a  revival  of  religion  in  Nassau,  which  com- 
menced April,  1820. 

"  The  state  of  religion  in  this  village  and  its  vicinity,  has 
for  years  been  deplorable.  The  village  contains  a  house  for 
public  worship,  held  in  common  by  two  denominations,  the 
Dutch  Reformed  and  the  Presbyterians.  The  former,  during 
the  winter  past,  have  had  one  sermon  every  other  Sabbath, 
and  the  latter  have  had  no  settled  minister,  and  no  regular 
preaching  for  years.  Indeed,  their  little  church  had  become 
nearly  extinct.  The  revival  of  religion  in  this  place  com- 
menced as  follows  : 

"  In  the  month  of  February,  a  number  of  persons  from  this 
village  visited  Malta,  during  the  revival  there.  One  of  this 
number  was  left  at  Malta,  became  a  hopeful  subject  of  divine 
grace,  and  shortly  after  returned  to  this  village.  The  sacred 
flame  began  to  kindle  in  the  hearts  of  a  few  old  professors. 
The  news  of  distant  revivals  began  to  excite  inquiry,  and 
some  few  sinners  became  more  solemn.  One,  after  a  season 
of  distress,  became  joyful.  For  a  moment,  hope  was  cher- 
ished, that  a  glorious  day  had  dawned  ;  but  the  surrounding 
darkness  prevailed,  and  hope  at  length  expired.  For  a  few 
weeks,  I  had  been  absent  from  Malta.  On  my  return,  I  re- 
ceived repeated  and  pressing  invitations  to  visit  Nassau. 
Prompted  by  this  state  of  things,  instead  of  returning  to  Sche- 
nectady, as  was  expected,  I  concluded  to  defer  it  for  one 
week,  and  visit  Nassau. 

"  April  1 9.  Arrived  at  Nassau.  Attended  a  meeting  in  the 
school-house.  About  fifty  assembled,  and  nothing  particular 
occurred. 

"  April  20.  This  evening  attended  a  meeting  in  a  large 
dining  hall  in  a  public  house.  The  room  was  crowded.  A 
number  stood  around  the  doors  and  windows,  and  listened 
with  respectful  silence  and  much  solemnity.  It  afterwards 
appeared  that  not  less  than  twelve  or  fifteen  dated  their  first 
serious  impressions  from  that  meeting.     A  Mr.  P subse- 


1  00  M  E  M  O  1  R     OF 

quently  observed,  '  1  went  to  that  meeting  full  of  prejudice. 
You  began  to  tell  me  the  feelings  of  my  heart,  and  I  began  to 
be  vexed  and  angry  at  one  or  two  of  my  neighbors  for  in- 
forming you  what  I  had  said.     I  thought  you  was  a  man  of 

great  brass.     On  returning  from  meeting,  I  asked  Mrs.  P 

how  she  liked  it?     She  burst  into  tears,  and  we  both  wept.' 

"  Another  whose  mind  was  impressed  at  this  meeting,  was 
a  young  woman  who  had  passed  through  a  revival  in  the  town 
of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  five  years  before.  She  had  been  some- 
what anxious  and  lost  her  concern,  and  as  I  have  since  learn- 
ed, had  made  light  of  the  subject.  She  entered  the  room  this 
evening  in  company  with  others,  without  suspecting  that  the 
preacher  was  a  man  whom  she  had  ever  seen  before.  She 
remarked  afterwards,.' as  soon  as  I  saw  the  preacher,  I  felt 
distressed.  I  observed  it  was  the  same  man  that  preached  in 
Salisbury.  I  was  expecting  a  revival.  From  this  time  her 
former  feelings  returned  ;  and  in  addition,  she  was  over- 
whelmed with  a  sense  of  her  guilt  in  having  dropped  the 
subject. 

"April  21.     This  evening  met  those  that  were  anxious,  at 

Dr.  M 's.     About  thirty  were  present.     As  I  commenced 

speaking  to  them  in  general,  all  were  very  still  and  solemn. 
Suddenly  a  youth  sitting  near  the  window,  as  if  pricked  in  the 
heart,  cried  out  in  distress.  This  produced  no  diversion  of 
attention,  but  increased  the  solemnity  ;  for  the  cause  was  per- 
fectly understood.  After  conversing  with  each  one,  we  bowed 
the  knee  together  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  then  in  solemn 
stillness  retired  at  an  early  hour.  A  number  of  these  anxious 
souls  belonged  to  one  family.  They  reached  home  weeping. 
The  father  of  the  family  had  retired  to  rest.  As  the  carriage 
came  up  to  the  door,  he  heard  the  cry  of  distress,  and  started 
from  his  bed  to  learn  the  cause.  His  daughter-in-law,  on 
entering  the  house,  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck  and  ex- 
claimed, '  My  father,  what  shall  I  do  ?  what  shall  I  do  ? '     She 


DR.    NETTLETON.  101 

continued  for  some  time  in  great  distress,  but  before  morning, 
was  rejoicing  in  hope. 

11  April  22.  Saturday — Was  in  some  doubt  what  course 
to  pursue,  as  the  meeting  house  on  the  next  Sabbath  was  en- 
gaged. Rode  to  Greenbush,  and  negotiated  an  exchange  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Marselus  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church. 

"  April  23.  Sabbath — -Mr.  Marselus  preached  at  Nassau 
with  power  and  effect,  and  at  the  close  of  the  services,  at  my 
request,  read  a  letter  from  Dr.  McAuley,  containing  an  account 
of  the  revival  in  Union  College  and  Schenectady.  This  in- 
creased the  solemnity.  I  preached  at  Greenbush  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  at  3  o'clock,  P.  M.,  preached  again  in  a  ball-room 
at  a  public  house,  on  the  road  about  two  miles  from  this  village. 
When  I  arrived,  I  found  the  ball-room  crowded  to  overflow- 
ing. At  the  close  of  the  services,  a  number  assembled  around 
me.  Some  from  curiosity,  but  many  in  deep  distress,  weep- 
ing aloud.  I  requested  them  to  suppress  their  cries,  and  be 
as  still  as  possible.  At  this  meeting  a  number  were  awa- 
kened. This  evening,  preached  in  the  meeting-house  in  this 
village  for  the  first  time,  to  a  crowded  and  solemn  audience. 

"  April  24.  This  evening  met  about  sixty  in  a  meeting  for 
anxious  inquirers.  Among  them  were  many  in  deep  distress. 
This  I  expected  would  be  my  last  meeting  in  this  place.  But 
I  found  so  many  in  distress  for  their  souls,  and  the  number 
increasing,  that  I  announced  the  appointment  of  one  public 
meeting  more  in  the  meeting-house,  on  the  following  evening. 

"  April  25.  Met  in  the  meeting-house.  More  crowded 
than  ever,  and  solemn  as  eternity.  Preached  on  the  nature 
and  reasonableness  of  gospel  repentance,  and  urged  the  duty 
of  immediate  compliance,  and  the  danger  of  delay.  Never 
more  expecting  to  meet  my  anxious  hearers  in  this  world,  I 
urged  them  by  all  the  solemnities  of  the  judgment,  not  to  pass 
the  threshold  of  the  meeting-house  that  night,  with  impenitent 
hearts.     They  seemed  to  hear  as  for  their  lives.     One  from 

deep  distress,  found  relief  in  the  midst  of  the  discourse,  and 
9* 


iH2  MEMOIR    OF 

lifted  up  a  joyful  countenance.  No  sooner  had  1  closed  and 
stepped  from  the  stage,  than  she  came  near,  and  taking  her 
husband  by  the  hand,  urged  him  to  come  to  Christ.  It  was 
like  a  two  edged  sword.  It  pierced  him  to  the  heart.  At 
this  moment  the  anxious  ones  assembled  around  me,  and  took 
me  some  by  the  hand,  some  by  the  arm,  and  some  by  the  coat, 
exclaiming,  '  Don't  leave  us.  What  shall  I  do  ?  What  shall 
I  do?'  Nearly  the  whole  congregation  tarried.  Those  who 
could  not  come  near,  stood,  some  on  the  seats,  and  some  on 
the  sides  of  the  pews,  to  hear  and  see.  From  the  midst  of 
this  scene  of  distress,  I  addressed  the  whole  congregation  for 
about  five  minutes.     Among  other  things  1  said, 

"  My  hearers,  I  now  no  longer  hesitate  to  tell  you  what  I 
have  hitherto  been  afraid  to  speak,  that  a  revival  of  religion  is 
begun  in  Nassau.  Yes,  from  what  I  have  seen,  I  can  no  Ion- 
ger  doubt  the  fact.  I  believe  you  are  about  to  witness  a  solemn 
and  trying  time  in  this  place  ;  and  now  you  must  prepare 
either  to  be  taken  or  to  be  left.  I  then  told  them,  I  would 
meet  them  in  the  morning  at  sunrise,  in  the  school-house, 
and  pray  with  them  before  I  left,  if  they  chose.  I  advised 
them  to  depart  as  still  as  possible,  and  to  be  retired  through 
the  night. 

"  April  26.  Met  them  in  the  morning  before  sunrise.  Two 
of  those  who  went  away  in  distress  last  night,  came  to  me 
rejoicing  this  morning.  They  found  relief  before  they  slept. 
I  prayed  and  conversed  with  them  a  few  moments,  and  started 
for  Schenectady  before  breakfast.  Heard  of  one  more  rejoi- 
cing this  morning.  I  called  and  found  it  so,  and  found  others 
in  distress.  The  distress  in  one  house  led  me  to  another,  and 
that  to  another,  until  I  visited  nine  families  before  I  left  the 
place.  It  was  truly  affecting  to  witness  these  strangers  cry- 
ing for  mercy.  In  this  state  I  left  them,  and  went  to  Sche- 
nectady. During  my  absence,  I  felt  a  deep  interest  for  them 
in  Nassau.  The  scenes  that  I  had  there  witnessed,  were  con- 
tinually before  me.     It  rained,  and  I  tarried  two  nights. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  103 

"April 28.  Started  from  Schenectady  tor  Nassau.  Arri- 
ved at  Mr.  B 's  within  three  miles  of  the  village,  late  in 

the  evening.  In  this  house,  some  whom  I  had  left  in  great 
distress  met  me  with  joyful  countenances.  Here  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  Baptists  had  a  meeting  at  the  meeting-house 
this  evening.  Wishing  to  embrace  the  opportunity  to  make 
an  appointment,  I  drove  on  to  the  meeting-house,  and  found 
the  house  nearly  full.  All  were  standing,  and  about  to  retire, 
as  the  meeting  had  just  closed.  I  made  my  way  through  the 
crowd,  as  I  suppose,  unobserved,  stepped  upon  the  stage,  and 
announced  an  appointment  for  the  next  Sabbath.  The  effect 
of  this  little  circumstance,  was  almost  incredible.  I  could 
hardly  say  which  was  most  prominent,  the  burst  of  joy  or  of 
grief.  A  number  came  to  me  with  joyful  countenances,  while 
others  were  borne  down  with  grief.  It  is  this  night  just 
one  week  since  the  first  instance  of  hopeful  conversion  oc- 
curred, and  now  about  thirty  appear  to  be  subjects  of  grace. 
Many  of  these,  it  was  afterwards  found,  obtained  relief  on  the 
day,  and  some  a  few  moments  after  I  left  them.  This  was  a 
memorable  day.  For  when  they  afterwards  came  together 
to  give  a  relation  of  their  christian  experience,  we  found  that 
some  on  that  day  retired  into  the  groves  and  fields,  and  some 
into  their  chambers  and  closets,  to  cry  for  mercy.  I  have 
since  thought  that  the  effect  of  my  leaving  them  as  I  did,  in 
the  advanced  stages  of  their  conviction,  was  evidently  benefi- 
cial. It  drove  them  from  all  human  dependence.  Distress- 
ing as  it  is.  and  cruel  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  necessary  for  them 
to  feel  that  no  arm  but  God's  can  help  them.  .Similar  effects 
from  like  circumstances,  have  heretofore  been  witnessed. 

"  April  30.  Sabbath — The  congregation  was  crowded  and 
solemn.  This  day  an  event  took  place,  unknown  to  me  at  the 
time,  which  was  designed  by  the  enemy- to  check  and  put  a 
stop  to  the  work,  but  which  in  the  hand  of  God  was  made 
subservient  to  its  advancement. 

"  May  1 .     Met  about  eighty-five  in  the  meeting  of  inquiry. 


104  MEMOIR    OF 

"  May  2.  This  evening  held  a  meeting  in  the  meeting- 
house, and  took  up  the  common  sayings  of  christians,  which 
are  calculated  to  check  a  revival  by  lessening  the  sinner's 
sense  of  obligation,  and  quieting  him  in  his  sins. 

"  May  4.  At  this  date,  we  find  about  forty  rejoicing  in  hope. 
From  this  date  to  the  14th,  preached  nine  times,  and  held  one 
meeting  for  inquirers. 

"May  15.  This  evening  attended  a  meeting  of  inquiry, 
and  found  the  number  and  distress  of  anxious  souls,  rapidly 
increasing.  The  distress  of  W.  is  greatly  augmented.  This 
is  the  person  who  had  been  a  little  anxious  during  the  revival 
in  Salisbury,  and  whose  attention  had  again  been  excited,  on 
entering  our  meeting  the  second  evening  in  this  village.  From 
this  time,  her  distress  continued  about  three  days  and  nights. 
Providentially  she  was  in  a  family  a  number  of  whom  were 
thoughtless  and  far  from  religion.  This  was  loud  preaching. 
So  great  was  her  distress,  that  she  was  unable  to  attend  meet- 
ings, and  was  confined  to  the  house.  Many  called  to  witness 
her  distress.  She  had  concluded  that  the  day  of  grace  was 
over  ;  and  she  was  now  past  the  fear  of  mortals.  She  con- 
tinued crying,  '  Lord  have  mercy  on  my  soul.  I  am  lost — Oh, 
forever  lost.''  In  this  situation,  she  sent  for  me  to  call  and  see 
her,  that  she  might  beg  my  pardon  for  what  she  had  said,  be- 
fore she  died.  I  called,  and  such  was  her  agitation,  that  it 
was  difficult  to  keep  her  in  one  position.  Sometimes  sitting, 
and  then  kneeling,  in  a  piteous  tone  she  would  cry  out,  '  young 
people,  take  warning  from  me  !  young  people,  take  warning  from 
me  /'  The  house  was  constantly  visited  by  curious  specta- 
tors, often  till  late  at  night.  Many  thought  that  she  could  not 
live  long.  One  physician  asked  my  opinion,  whether  I 
thought  she  would  die.  From  past  facts,  I  have  noticed  that 
this  extreme  distress  does  not  generally  continue  long,  espe- 
cially in  seasons  of  revival — sometimes  but  a  few  moments — 
commonly  a  few  hours,  and  rarely  over  three  days.  And  when 
this  extreme  distress  exceeds  this  time,  I  begin  to  fear  that  it 


LK.     NETTLETON.  105 

may  subside,  as  it  has   sometimes  done  without  a  change  of 
heart.     On  the  third  day,  she  was  rejoicing  in  hope. 

"  The  question  is  often  asked,  why  is  it  that  the  convic- 
tions of  some  sinners  are  so  much  greater  than  those  of 
others  ?  I  answer,  I  do  not  know.  The  sinner's  distress 
does  not  always  appear  to  be  in  exact  proportion  to  his  crimes. 
But  one  thing  I  have  learned  from  observation,  and  that  is, 
that  when  persons  of  a  particular  description  have  been 
brought  under  conviction,  they  have  been  exercised  with 
severe  distress.  Those  who  have  once  been  anxious  for 
their  souls,  and  have  been  laughed  out  of  it,  and  returned  to 
the  thoughtless  world,  if  again  awakened,  are  more  distress- 
ed than  ever.  Those  who  once  made  it  a  business  to  retire 
and  pray,  and  have  long  since  dropped  the  subject,  are  usually, 
if  their  attention  is  again  excited,  greatly  distressed.  Those 
who  have  labored  hard  to  stifle  and  throw  off  their  convic- 
tions, or  those  who  have  formerly  resisted  the  strivings  of 
God's  Spirit,  are  usually  the  subjects  of  keen  distress,  if  con-, 
vinced  of  sin,  a  second  time.  Those  who  have  scoffed  at 
the  subject  of  religion,  and  have  mocked  the  messengers  of 
Christ,  and  ridiculed  the  worship  of  God,  are  usually  filled 
with  great  consternation  and  agony,  when  brought  to  a  just 
sense  of  their  character  and  state.  Those  who  have  made 
light  of  revivals  of  religion,  by  calling  them  enthusiasm, 
fanaticism,  and  the  work  of  the  devil — especially  those  who 
have  taken  an  active  part  in  ridiculing  the  conviction  and  con- 
version of  sinners,  in  the  season  of  a  revival — those  who 
have  called  revivals  by  the  hardest  names,  who  have  express- 
ed the  greatest  contempt  of  them,  and  who  have  done  the 
most  to  bring  them  into  disrepute — persons  of  this  description, 
have  been  the  most  frightful  monuments  of  distress,  that  I 
have  ever  witnessed.  They  despair  of  ever  becoming  the 
subjects  of  that  work  which  they  have  treated  with  so  much 
contempt.  We  have  sometimes  heard  the  champion  of  infi- 
delity expressing  his  horror  for  fear  of  having  committed  the 


106  MEMOIR    OF 

unpardonable  sin.  I  am  acquainted  with  the  names  of  per- 
sons, who  have  become  perfectly  deranged  in  consequence  of 
their  own  opposition  to  the  progress  of  revivals.  Conscience, 
without  any  other  accuser,  has  driven  the  enemy  of  revivals 
out  of  his  reason  into  a  state  of  settled  delirium.  The  con- 
fession and  fate  of  Judas,  show  the  power  of  conscience,  and 
stand  recorded  as  a  warning  to  the  opposers  of  religion  to 
beware. 

"  May  17.  This  evening  we  met  in  the  school  house. 
The  room  was  crowded,  and  the  meeting  was  exceedingly 
joyful.  Every  word  that  was  spoken,  seemed  to  find  a  place 
in  some  heart.  Such  a  season  of  rejoicing  is  rarely  witness- 
ed. '  Old  things  are  passed  away,  and  all  things  are  become 
new.''  It  is  not  yet  quite  one  month  since  the  work  com- 
menced, and  about  sixty  are  supposed  to  be  the  subjects  of 
grace. 

"May  19.  This  evening  we  met  in  a  private  house,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  exercises,  one  of  the  young  converts  spoke 
to  a  stout-hearted  sinner  who  had  been  struggling  against  his 
conscience,  and  he  dropped  upon  his  knees  in  distress  of  soul. 
Another  followed  me  nearly  home,  inquiring  what  he  must  do 
to  be  saved  .'  In  this  situation,  I  left  him  ;  but  before  we  re- 
tired to  rest,  he  came  in  with  a  new  song  in  his  mouth.  The 
other  went  home  in  great  distress,  but  found  relief  before 
morning. 

"  May  20.  This  was  a  solemn  day  throughout  this  village. 
Mr.  L.,  a  youngTawyer,  who  had  been  anxious  for  a  few  days, 
and  who  had  retired  to  rest  in  my  chamber,  came  to  my  bed- 
side early  this  morning  in  distress.  He  sat  down  to  breakfast 
with  us,  and  while  at  the  table,  heard  the  tidings  that  another 
of  his  mates  had  found  the  Saviour  the  last  night.  He  in- 
stantly left  the  table  and  retired  to  my  chamber.  Sometime 
after,  I  entered  the  chamber  and  found  him  prostrate  on  the 
floor,  crying  for  mercy.  While  he  thus  continued,  waxing 
worse  and  worse,  a  number  came    up  to   see  him ;  but  he 


DR,    NETTLETON.  107 

seemed  to  take  no  notice  of  them,  and  continued  pleading  for 
mercy.  About  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  whether  with  a  new  heart, 
I  cannot  say,  I  only  record  the  fact,  he  came  down  stairs, 
expressing  his  joy  that  he  had  found  the  Saviour.  At  the  same 
time,  his  fellow  student  M.,  in  a  house  a  few  rods  distant,  lay 
prostrate  in  his  chamber.  I  called  and  found  a  number  as- 
sembled around  him,  while  he  lay  crying  for  mercy.  The 
burden  of  his  prayer  was,  that  God  would  pardon  his  self- 
righteousness.  The  fact  was  this.  A  few  days  previous,  he 
and  his  brother  lawyer,  had  shut  themselves  in  a  chamber, 
seeking,  and  striving  and  praying  together  for  a  long  time, 
thinking  without  doubt,  they  should  ere  long  succeed  in  be- 
coming christians.  Here  they  continued,  until  both  had 
become  exceedingly  self-righteous.  They  could  see  it  in 
each  other,  and  each  was  alarmed  at  it,  and  asked  my  opinion 
if  they  had  not  better  separate.  By  all  means,  I  told  them. 
This  sight  of  his  heart  was  doubtless  what  most  distressed 
him.  About  three  o'clock  P.  M.,  he  arose  in  like  manner, 
rejoicing  that  he  had  found  the  Saviour. 

May  21.  Sabbath — Held  a  meeting  at  a  public  house, 
( Mr.  B's,)  four  or  five  miles  from  this  village.  When  I  arrived, 
the  rooms  were  filled — doors  and  windows  thronged.  Those 
who  seemed  the  most  anxious,  had  placed  themselves  near 
the  seat  of  the  speaker.  When  I  named  the  psalm,  all  was 
silence,  except  the  sighs  and  sobs  of  anxious  souls.  The 
moment  I  began  to  speak,  1  felt  that  God  was  there.  I  ad- 
dressed them  from  Gen.  vii.  1.  '  Come  thou  and  all  thy  house 
into  the  Ark?  I  felt  unusual  freedom  and  satisfaction  in 
speaking.  The  solemnity  of  the  scene  will  long  be  remem- 
bered. When  I  had  pronounced  the  benediction,  I  know  not 
that  a  foot  moved.  All  were  standing,  and  still  anxious  to 
hear.  I  gave  them  an  account  of  what  I  had  witnessed  up  in 
the  village  the  week  past.  Many  had  assembled  from  the 
surrounding  regions  of  desolation,  doubtless  from  motives  of 
curiosity,  having  heard  something  ofthe  wonderful  movement 


108  MEMOIR    OF 

in  the  village.  While  giving  a  relation  of  these  wonderful 
things,  every  ear  was  attentive.  Some  were  sighing,  and 
some  were  gazing  in  wild  amazement.  The  language  of 
every  look  seemed  to  be,  we  never  heard  such  things  before. 
In  one  large  room  which  was  crowded  entirely  full,  nearly  all 
were  in  deep  distress,  besides  many  crowding  round  the 
doors  and  windows,  all  apparently  equally  anxious,  except 
here  and  there  a  joyful  convert.  They  were  crowded  so 
closely  together,  that  I  could  not  pass  among  them  to  converse. 
So  I  spoke  to  one  and  another  here  and  there  at  a  distance, 
as  I  could  catch  their  eyes  as  they  lifted  them  streaming  with 
tears.  All  were  utter  strangers  whom  I  addressed,  and  not  a 
name  could  I  call.  My  only  method  of  designation  was,  by 
pointing  and  saying,  I  mean  you,  and  you,  or  this  sinner,  and 
that  sinner.  Never  did  I  feel  a  deeper  compassion  for  sinners, 
than  for  these  poor  strangers.  A  number,  T  know  not  how- 
many,  were  awakened  this  day. 

"  Preached  in  the  village  in  the  afternoon  and  evening. 
At  this  time,  we  concluded  that  the  crisis  of  solemnity  was 
past  in  the  village. 

"  May  22.  This  evening  attended  the  meeting  for  inquir- 
ers, and  all  things  considered,  it  was  the  most  distressing  and 
painful  scene  hitherto  witnessed  in  this  revival.  Unexpect- 
edly, a  number  who  had  never  before  attended,  came  from  the 
region  of  solemnity  above  described.  Some  came  four  or 
five  miles,  and  crowded  the  meeting,  and  threw  it  into  a  scene 
of  awful  distress.  The  distress  was  so  great,  and  the  sup- 
pressed sighs  and  sobs  became  so  loud,  that  I  could  scarcely 
hear  my  own  voice.  One  or  two  found  relief  on  the  spot ; 
and  some  lost  their  strength,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  help 
them  out  of  the  chamber.  It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
that  I  could  prevail  on  them  to  separate.  Some  would  start 
to  retire,  but  the  cry  of  distress  would  call  them  back  again, 
and  in  this  state,  we  were  long  detained.  After  leaving  the 
chamber,  the  distress  was  so  great,  it  was  almost  impossible 


DR.     NETTLETON.  109 

to  prevail  on  them  to  retire.  At  length,  all  retired  but  one, 
who  in  great  agony,  tarried  through  the  night.  But  many 
who  came  from  a  distance,  remained  over  night  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

"  May  24.  This  evening  attended  a  meeting  at  Mr.  G's. 
A  number  sobbed  and  wept. 

"May  25.  This  evening  met  again  at  the  same  place. 
One  who  formerly  thought  he  had  obtained  a  hope  and  lost  it, 
was  again  awakened,  and  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  cried 
aloud.  He  professes  to  have  found  relief,  but  I  think  without 
any  good  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart.  I  fear  he  has  again 
deceived  himself. 

"May  26.  This  evening  met  the  young  converts  in  a  social 
meeting,  and  began  to  hear  a  relation  of  their  christian  ex- 
perience. 

"  May  27.  This  afternoon  held  a  general  meeting  of  the 
young  converts,  and  of  all  others  who  chose  to  attend  ;  the  ob- 
ject of  which  was,  to  address  the  subjects  of  this  work  on  the 
nature  of  a  public  profession  of  religion.  Spoke  of  the 
duty — the  qualifications  requisite — and  stated  and  answered 
objections.  The  duty  ;  1.  To  God.  2.  To  yourself.  3.  To 
the  church.     4.  To  the  world,  &c. 

"  May  28.  Sabbath.  Preached  thrice  to  a  crowded,  at- 
tentive, solemn  and  yet  joyful  audience. 

"  May  29.  This  evening  met  nearly  200  in  a  meeting  for 
inquirers.  This  meeting  was  anticipated  by  many  with  secret 
dread.  Some  christians,  doubtless,  among  the  rest,  who  were 
present  and  witnessed  the  scene  of  distress  at  the  last  inquiry 
meeting  were  heard  to  say,  that  they  dreaded  to  attend  this 
evening.  They  could  hardly  endure  the  thought  of  passing 
through  such  a  scene  of  distress  a  second  time.  And  I  can 
truly  say,  that  for  the  first  time,  I  felt  the  same  reluctance. 
But  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  instead  of  an  anxious,  we  had 
a  joyful  meeting.  Most  of  those  in  such  distress  at  our  last 
meeting  for  inquirers,  had  found  relief,  and  were  exceeding 
10 


110  MEMOIR    OF 

joyful.  What  an  astonishing  change  in  one  week  !  I  felt 
that  it  could  hardly  be  possible.  We  had  lost  our  anxiety, 
and  had  little  else  to  do,  but  to  render  united  thanks  to  God 
for  what  he  had  done.  But  before  we  parted,  I  went  round 
and  collected  into  a  circle,  a  number  who  were  without  hope, 
conversed  with  each  one,  addressed  the  whole  and  prayed 
with  and  for  them,  as  those  professing  no  hope.  This  was 
evidently  the  means  of  deepening  their  impressions. 

"  May  30.  This  evening  met  in  the  school  house.  The 
room  was  crowded,  and  the  audience  were  still,  solemn,  ani- 
mated and  joyful.  The  same  was  the  general  character  of 
our  meetings  after  this  date. 

"  From  this  time,  we  spent  a  number  of  half  days  and 
evenings  in  hearing  a  relation  of  their  christian  experience, 
preparatory  to  a  public  profession.  These  were  interesting 
and  animating  seasons,  affording  the  best  opportunity  of 
learning  the  human  heart  in  all  its  foldings  of  depravity  and 
opposition  ;  and  the  astonishing  change  wrought  by  the  power 
of  God's  grace. 

"  June  25.  Sabbath — This  day  sixty-eight  made  a  public 
profession  of  religion,  thirty-two  of  whom  were  baptized. 
At  this  time,  more  than  a  hundred  had,  to  appearance,  become 
the  subjects  of  divine  grace.  A  number  more  have  since, 
publicly  professed  Christ ;  and  of  these,  five  young  men  are 
preparing  for  the  gospel  ministry." 

This  sketch  was  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Nettleton,  a  few  months 
after  he  left  Nassau,  from  brief  memoranda  which  he  kept  at 
the  time.  This,  as  1  have  said,  is  a  specimen  of  the  revivals 
which  occurred  under  his  preaching.  In  not  less  than  forty 
or  fifty  places  there  were  revivals  in  connection  with  his 
labors,  quite  as  interesting  as  this  ;  and  in  some  of  them,  the 
hopeful  converts  were  twice  or  thrice  as  numerous. 

While  I  speak  of  this  as  a  specimen  of  the  effects  of  Mr. 
Nettleton's  preaching,  I  ought,  perhaps,  to  make  one  or  two 
slight  exceptions.     When  he  first  went  to  Nassau,  he  expect- 


DR.   NETTLE  TON.  Ill 

ed  to  remain  there  but  a  short  time.  This  circumstance  in- 
duced him  to  hold  meetings  more  frequently  than  he  did  in 
ordinary  cases;  and  as  he  was  obliged  to  close  his  labors 
there  in  about  two  months  from  the  time  the  revival  began, 
and  as  the  church  was  destitute  of  a  pastor,  he  admitted  some 
of  the  converts  to  the  church,  sooner  than  he  was  wont  to  do. 
With  these  slight  exceptions,  the  foregoing  sketch  will  give 
the  reader  a  very  good  view  of  his  ordinary  course  of  pro- 
ceeding, and  of  the  effects  which  accompanied  his  labors. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Labors  in  New  Haven,  North   Killingworth,  North  Madison,  Wethersfield,    New- 
ington,  and  Farmington. 

In  the  summer  of  1820,  there  was  some  unusual  serious- 
ness in  New  Haven,  and  in  Yale  College  ;  and  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  the  pastors,  Mr.  Nettleton  again  visited  that 
city.  He  arrived  August.  5,  and  as  appears  from  his  journal, 
continued  his  labors  there,  with  some  occasional  absences, 
until  the  December  following. 

The  Religious  Intelligencer  of  September  2d,  contains  the 
following  notice  of  the  state  of  religious  feeling  in  New 
Haven  at  that  date. 

"  Reports  have  doubtless  gone  abroad,  that  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion has  commenced  in  this  city.  We  have  felt  desirous  to 
communicate  this  good  news  to  our  readers,  that  they  might 
rejoice  with  us ;  but  believing  that  ill  effects  are  sometimes 
produced  by  a  premature  disclosure,  when  a  revival  has  but 
partially  commenced  in  the  hearts  of  individuals  or  in  a  com- 
munity, we  have  heretofore  observed  a  silence  on  this  sub- 
ject, waiting  to  see  what  the  Lord  was  about  to  do  for  us.  A 
revival  of  religion  has  been  felt  in  the  hearts  of  some  chris- 
tians in  this  place,  for  some  time  past,  and  they  have  had  a 
holy  confidence,  that  a  shower  of  divine  grace  was  about  to 
be  poured  out  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  on  this  dry  and 
thirsty  place.  We  have  seen  the  cloud  like  a  man's  hand, 
and  we  now  hear  the  sound  of  abundance  of  rain  ;  verily  the 
Lord  is  among  us,  convincing  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of 


DR.     XETTLETOX.  113 

judgment — many  are  pricked  in  the  heart,  some  are  rejoicing 
in  the  Lord,  and  convictions  and  conversions  are  daily  multi- 
plying. The  power  and  the  mercy  of  God  are  extensively 
felt  in  college,  and  many  of  the  dear  youth  have  been  brought 
to  submit  to  the  sceptre  of  Immanuel ;  and  many  others  are 
bowed  down  under  a  sense  of  sin,  and  are  anxiously  inquiring 
what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  We  cannot  be  more  particu- 
lar at  present.  Christians,  pray  for  us.  Forget  not  that  there 
are  nearly  three  hundred  young  men  of  talents  in  this  college, 
and  their  hearts  are  in  the  hands  of  that  God  who  hears  your 
prayers,  if  you  are  christians.  May  we  be  humble  and  re- 
joice in  the  Lord,  and  wait  for  his  salvation." 

The  following  letter  to  the  young  converts  at  Nassau,  was 
written  by  Mr.  Nettleton,  five  days  after  the  above  statement 
was  published.- 

"New  Havkn,  Sept  7,  1820. 
u  My  dear  Friends  : 

"  The  moment  I  take  my  pen  to  address  you,  I  im- 
agine myself  seated  in  the  midst  of  that  same  dear  circle. 
Every  name  and  every  countenance  appears  familiar.  The 
inquiry  meeting,  the  crowded  assembly,  the  heaving  sigh,  the 
solemn  stillness,  and  the  joyful  countenances  awaken  all  the 
tender  sensibilities  of  my  heart.  My  dear  friends,  no  friend- 
ship, no  attachment  in  this  world,  is  equal  to  that  created  in  a 
revival  of  religion. 

•'  The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above." 

"  What  is  felt  at  such  a  season,  is  in  anticipation  of  the 
joys  of  the  heavenly  world.  1  doubt  not  your  hearts  retain 
the  sweet  recollection  of  what  Paul  hints  to  the  Ephesian 
converts.  '  Who  hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit 
together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus.'  But,  my  dear 
t friends,  after  all,  the  milk  and  the  honey  lie  beyond  this  wilder- 
10* 


114  MEMOIR    OF 

ness  world.  A  voice  from  heaven  is  heard,  '  Arise  ye,  and 
depart,  for  this  is  not  your  rest.' 

"  By  this  time  some  of  you  begin  to  learn,  that  you  are  on 
the  field  of  battle.  The  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  are 
potent  enemies.  You  will  have  need  to  buckle  on  the  whole 
armor  of  God.  But  whatever  may  betide,  never,  no  never 
think  of  dropping  the  subject.  True,  the  conflict  may  be 
sharp,  and  the  pathway  to  heaven  steep  and  difficult,  but, 
brethren,  the  time  is  short.  The  conflict  will  soon  be  over. 
Think  not  so  much  about  present  enjoyment,  as  about  present 
duty. 

"  I  must  give  you  a  short  account  of  the  revival  in  this  place. 
Meetings  are  held  every  evening  in  the  week,  crowded,  still, 
and  solemn  as  eternity.  Every  Monday  evening,  we  meet 
the  anxious  ones  in  a  large  ball-room.  We  have  had  from 
sixty  to  about  three  hundred  assembled  at  these  meetings,  all 
solemn,  and  many  in  deep  distress  of  soul.  The  cloud  of 
divine  influence,  has  gone  rapidly  over  our  heads,  and  covered 
us  with  awful  solemnity.  And  there  is  the  sound  of  abun- 
dance of  rain.  The  fields  have  whitened  every  where,  and 
we  are  in  danger  of  losing  much  of  the  harvest,  because  we 
cannot  reap  every  where  at  once. 

"  We  visit  by  appointment,  and  make  a  number  of  visits  in 
a  day  at  a  given  hour.  We  sometimes  meet  ten  or  fifteen,  and 
sometimes  thirty  at  once.  We  converse  a  little  with  each 
one,  speak  a  word  to  all  in  general,  pray  and  pass  on  to  ano- 
ther circle,  and  so  we  spend  our  time.  Our  visits  are  gen- 
erally short,  except  one  which  will  never  be  forgotten.  This 
was  August  25,  at  2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  B. 
We  entered  the  house  at  the  time  appointed,  and  found  about 
twenty  persons  sitting  around  the  room  in  pensive  silence. 
All  had  been  more  or  less  anxious  for  a  number  of  days,  and 
one  was  in  awful  distress.  This  one  I  addressed  more  partic- 
ularly, and  urged  the  duty  of  immediate  repentance,  not  with- 
out some  hope  that  relief  would  be  obtained  on  the  spot ;  for 


DR.    NETTLETON.  115 

I  felt  sure  that  this  state  of  feeling,  could  not  long  be  sustained. 
While  pressing  the  conscience  of  this  sinner,  I  found  that  this 
distress  had  spread  nearly  throughout  the  circle.  I  detained 
them  the  usual  time,  and  advised  them  all  to  retire  home  to 
their  closets.  Some  started  and  went  out  of  the  door,  and 
others  sat  still  with  heavy  hearts.  Very  soon,  Emily  return- 
ed, exclaiming,  '0,  I  cannot  go  home,  I  dare  not  go.  I  shall 
lose  my  concern.  What  shall  I  do  ? '  and  threw  herself  down 
in  a  chair,  and  her  head  on  the  table,  in  the  deepest  agony. 
All  at  once  she  became  silent,  and  gently  raised  her  head  with 
a  placid  countenance,  and  was  heard  to  say  in  a  mild  tone  of 
voice,  '  0,  I  can  submit,  I  can  love  Christ.  How  easy  it  is  ; 
why  did  I  not  do  it  before.'  Wre  sat  in  silent  amazement. 
Every  word  sunk  deep  into  our  hearts.  We  felt  the  convic- 
tion that  God  was  there.  She  seized  her  next  companion  by 
the  hand,  and  with  all  the  tenderness  becoming  a  fellow  sinner, 
began  to  press  those  very  truths,  which  had  so  distressed  her 
own  heart,  the  duty  of  immediate  repentance  and  submission 
to  God.  Every  word  became  an  arrow.  I  felt  that  the  work 
was  taken  out  of  my  hands,  for  I  perceived  that  God  had  made 
her  the  most  powerful  preacher.  'All  at  once,  A.  became 
silent,  and  lifted  her  head  with  a  countenance  beaming  with 
joy.  '  The  Saviour  has  come — O  how  happy.'  This  sent 
fresh  alarm  through  every  heart.  And  now  A.  and  E.  unite 
heart  and  hand,  and  begin  with  H.  who  had  been  in  deep  dis- 
tress for  some  time.  They  urge  with  all  the  tenderness  and 
firm  decision  of  those  who  had  felt  the  conviction,  the  neces- 
sity, and  reasonableness  of  immediate  repentance,  and  sub- 
mission to  God.  The  subject  pressed  harder  and  harder  and 
harder  still,  when  all  at  once,  H.  was  brought  out  of  darkness 
into  marvelous  light.  These  three  now  unite  heart  and  hand, 
and  with  one  voice  bear  testimony  to  the  same  heart-rending 
truth  that  God  is  right  and  the  sinner  wrong.  The  time  would 
fail  me  to  finish  the  story  of  this  visit.  We  met  at  2  o'clock, 
P.M.,  and  were  detained  more  than  three  hours.     Suffice  it 


116  MEMOIR     OF 

to  say,  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  such  an  afternoon  visit  before, 
for  the  one  half  has  not  been  told.  At  the  close,  we  began 
to  look  about  us  to  see,  and  inquire,  what  hath  God  wrought ! 
We  brought  them  into  one  circle.  I  said,  is  it  possible  !  This 
is  too  much  !  Had  I  not  seen  it,  I  could  not  have  believed  it. 
For  nine  of  those  who  entered  the  room  in  deep  distress,  were 
now  rejoicing  in  hope.  The  anxious  ones  had  retired,  and 
we  were  left  in  a  circle  of  young  converts,  if  they  are  not  de- 
ceived. Not  a  hint  had  been  given  that  one  soul  had  experien- 
ced religion,  or  had  any  reason  to  hope.  This  was  the  feeling, 
1  It  is  right  I  should  love  and  serve  God,  and  this  I  intend  to 
do,  whether  saved  or  lost.'  Oh,  it  was  a  delightful  circle, 
humble,  tender,  affectionate  and  joyful.  They  appeared  like 
children  of  the  same  great  family. 

"  About  eighty  have  been  brought  to  rejoice  in  hope  in  this 
city  during  five  weeks  past.  Besides  these,  about  twenty-five 
students  in  Yale  College,  have  become  hopeful  subjects  of 
divine  grace.  But  we  much  fear  the  bustle  of  commence- 
ment. It  would  be  nothing  strange,  if  all  our  prospects  of  a 
future  harvest  should  be  blighted,  before  another  week  shall 
end.  Pray  for  us.  My  love  to  all  my  dear  friends  in  Nassau, 
and  tell  them  how  I  long  to  see  them.  Live  near  to  God. 
Live  in  peace,  and  the  God  of  love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you. 
In  short,  '  Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  it  becometh  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ,  that  whether  I  come  and  see  you,  or  else  be  absent, 
I  may  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with 
one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  gospel.'' 

Yours  as  ever." 

The  reader  will  observe  that  in  describing  the  scene  of 
thrilling  interest  which  occurred  at  the  house  of  Mr.  B.,  Mr. 
Nettleton  says,  "Not  a  hint  had  been  given  that  one  soul  had  expe- 
rienced religion,  or  had  any  reason  to  hope.''''  This  accords  with 
his  uniform  practice.  He  never  told  persons  that  they  had 
reason  to  hope.     He  would  set  before  them  with  great  plain- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  117 

ness,  the  distinguishing  evidences  of  regeneration,  and  enjoin 
it  upon  them  to  be  faithful  and  honest  in  the  application  of 
these  evidences  to  themselves. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  what  became  of  these 
nine  individuals,  who  were  thus  suddenly,  and  almost  simul- 
taneously, brought  to  rejoice  in  hope  ;  and  the  suspicion  may 
perhaps  have  crossed  his  mind,  that  with  most  of  them  the 
change  was  the  effect  of  sympathy,  and  was  only  temporary. 
This,  however,  appears  not  to  have  been  the  case.  I  have 
understood  that  they  all  gave  very  satisfactory  evidence  of 
piety.  Five  of  them  have  departed  this  life,  all  of  whom  died 
peacefully,  and  some  of  them  very  triumphantly.  Those  who 
survive,  it  is  believed,  continue  to  adorn  their  christian  pro- 
fession. Of  two  that  are  dead,  viz.  Susan  B.  Marble,  and 
Adeline  Marble,  interesting  memoirs  were  published.  Susan 
B.  Marble  was  the  youngest  of  the  nine,  being  in  the  four- 
teenth year  of  her  age.  She  died  Feb.  4th,  1821,  the  day  on 
which  she,  with  one  hundred  other  individuals  was  to  have 
been  received  into  the  church.  She  appears  to  have  been  a 
youth  of  remarkably  amiable  disposition.  Her  biographer, 
speaking  of  her  state  of  mind  while  under  conviction,  says, 
"  It  was  peculiarly  interesting  to  converse  with  her  at  this 
time.  A  person  ignorant  of  the  natural  character  of  man,  as 
delineated  in  the  scriptures,  would  think  that  one  so  young 
and  amiable  could  need  nothing  new  ;  yet  according  to  the 
estimate  of  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  she  still  lacked  one  thing. 
This  she  felt  and  deplored.  What  chiefly  distressed  her, 
was,  the  sinfulness  and  hardness  of  her  heart,  and  its  opposi- 
tion to  God." 

I  quote  this  remark,  for  the  purpose  of  turning  the  attention 
of  the  reader  to  the  fact,that  those  who  were  converted  under  Mr. 
Nettleton's  preaching,  however  young  and  however  amiable, 
were  brought  to  see  the  sinfulness  and  hardness  of  their  hearts, 
and  their  opposition  to  God. 

In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Nettleton  to  Mrs.  Parmele,  of  Bolton, 


118  MEMOIR.  OF 

dated  May  15th,  1822,  there  is    a  touching   allusion  to  the 
scenes  above  described. 

"  You  recollect  reading  an  account  of  the  death  of  Susan  B. 
Marble,  in  New  Haven.  She  was  one  of  the  nine  who  were 
brought  out  rejoicing  in  an  afternoon's  visit.  When  I  was  in 
New  Haven  last,  Betsey  Bishop,  another  of  that  number  died. 
She  was  an  interesting  youth.  I  had  then  so  far  recovered 
my  health,  that  I  went  to  the  conference  room,  and  addressed 
the  people  on  the  subject  of  her  death,  and  alluded  to  that 
interesting  afternoon.  A  number  of  fcthat  same  circle  called 
to  see  me  one  evening,  and  to  talk  over  the  interesting 
event.  They  used  to  meet  frequently  by  themselves,  and  con- 
verse and  pray  together.  It  was  a  little  band  of  love.  Adeline 
Marble,  Susan's  sister,  was  one  of  this  happy  number.  She 
was  present  at  that  evening  visit — still  clad  in  mourning. 
Last  evening,  I  saw  from  the  paper,  that  she  too  has  gone  to 
her  long  home.  I  retired,  and  could  not  but  weep — '  Child  of 
mortality.'  Thus  three  of  these  blooming  youth,  have  found 
an  early  grave.  Had  you  seen  them  as  I  have,  you  too  would 
weep,  as  well  as  rejoice." 

The  Religious  Intelligencer  for  Oct.  7th,  contains  the  fol- 
lowing statement  in  relation  to  the  progress  of  this  revival. 

"  We  mentioned  not  long  since,  that  a  revival  had  commen- 
ced in  this  city.  Since  that  time  God  has  done  great  things 
for  us,  which  has  given  joy  on  earth,  and  we  believe  great  joy 
in  heaven.  Since  the  commencement  of  this  glorious  work 
of  grace,  there  have  been  within  the  bounds  of  charity,  about 
two  hundred  souls,  belonging  to  the  two  Congregational  soci 
eties,  including  about  thirty  in  college  before  its  recess,  who 
have  been  called  out  of  darkness  into  marvelous  light.  This, 
when  compared  with  the  five  preceding  years  of  dearth,  will 
be  considered  as  the  commencement,  at  least,  of  a  glorious  har- 
vest. And  we  still  hope  for  greater  things  than  these.  Truly, 
this  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes.  He 
works  like  himself,  and  none  can  hinder.     The  blindest  infidel 


D  R  .     X  JJ  T  T  LE  T  O  N .  It  9 

must  see  and  acknowledge  that  it  is  the  work  of  God.  And 
could  he  witness  our  assemblies,  where  three  or  four  hundred 
are  convened  for  the  purpose  of  inquiry,  and  behold  the  solem- 
nity and  the  distress  for  sin,  we  think  he  would  feel  that  the 
Lord  was  there.  And  could  he  behold  the  same  company  of 
convicted,  trembling  sinners,  in  smiling  crowds,  rejoicing  in 
the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  would  be  equally  con- 
vinced that  the  same  Holy  Spirit,  who  convinced  them  of  sin, 
is,  when  the  sinner  has  submitted,  the  blessed  comforter  which 
Christ  promised  to  send. 

i:  The  work  is  still  in  progress.  It  is  the  still,  small  voice 
that  convinces  of  sin.  '  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth  ; 
we  hear  the  sound  thereof,  but  cannot  tell  whence  it  cometh 
or  whither  it  goeth.'  We  have  no  new  gospel,  no  other  terms 
of  salvation  than  those  that  have  always  been  held  out,  for 
acceptance.  The  sinner  has  been  taught  invariably,  that  he 
must  not  look  for  comfort  without  submission.  And  such  has 
been  the  faithfulness  of  our  spiritual  teachers,  that  in  most 
cases,  those  who  have  been  slain  by  the  law,  and  brought  to 
despair  of  climbing  up  some  other  way,  have  been  led  directly 
to  the  Saviour,  who  is  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life  ;  and 
who  has  always  been  ready  and  willing  to  receive  them." 

This  revival  continued  for  many  months,  and  spread  into 
all  the  surrounding  region.  In  the  Religious  Intelligencer  for 
June  9th,  1821,  is  the  following  statement: 

"  On  the  last  Sabbath,  twenty-six  were  added  to  the  church 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Merwin,  making  in 
all,  about  three  hundred  added  to  the  congregational  churches 
in  this  city,  as  fruits  of  the  revival.  We  trust  a  goodly  num- 
ber more  will  still  come  over  from  the  ranks  of  the  enemy, 
and  publicly  avow  their  friendship  for  Him  who  has  said, 
c  whosoever  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess 
also  before  my  Father,  which  is  in  heaven.' 

"  Since  the  revival  commenced  in  this  city,  it  has  extended 
to  most  of  our  neighboring  towns.     Out  of  thirty-one  con gre- 


120  MEMOIR    OF 

gations  in  the  county  of  New-Haven,  at  least  twenty-five  have 
been  visited,  during  the  past  winter  and  spring,  with  the 
special  presence  of  the  Lord ;  and  it  is  estimated  that  within 
these  limits,  between  fifteen  hundred  and  two  thousand  souls 
have  been  called  by  his  grace,  out  of  nature's  darkness  into 
marvelous  light." 

Mr.  Nettleton  confined  his  labors  to  New  Haven  and  Yale 
College,  until  the  18th  of  September,  when  he  repaired  to 
North  Killingworth,  his  native  place.  He  returned  to  New- 
Haven,  October  10th,  and  continued  there  about  a  week, 
preaching  several  times.  He  labored  there  also  for  a  season 
in  the  month  of  December. 

His  labors  were  greatly  blessed  in  North  Killingworth. 
He  went  there  from  New  Haven,  September  18.  He  men- 
tions in  his  journal  that  on  the  25th  of  that  month  he  attended 
an  inquiry  meeting  at  which  sixty-two  were  present.  From 
this  time,  the  work  became  very  powerful  and  rapid  in  its 
progress.  On  the  29th,  thirty  were  rejoicing  in  hope  ;  and  on 
the  23d  of  October,  there  were  ninety  rejoicing. 

The  Rev.  Asa  King,  who  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the 
church  in  North  Killingworth,  in  a  letter  dated  July  16th,  1844, 
says,  "  That  ever-to-be-remembered  revival  commenced  about 
the  last  of  August,  in  a  Bible  class,  which  for  some  months,  I 
had  weekly  attended  ;  and  it  had  been  in  pleasing  progress 
for  some  time  before  brother  Nettleton's  arrival ;  when  under 
his  labors  it  received  a  fresh  impulse,  and  went  forward  with 
unusual  power.  As  he  used  occasionally  to  visit  his  native 
place,  to  rest  awhile  from  the  exhausting  labors  of  a  revival,  I 
had  the  privilege  of  gathering  many  useful  hints  from  his  com- 
munications, and  I  am  free  to  say,  that  to  him,  under  God,  I 
am  very  much  indebted  for  the  measures  I  adopted,  and  for 
the  course  which,  with  a  good  degree  of  success,  I  pursued, 
before  he  came  to  my  assistance.  After  spending  several 
weeks  at  North  Killingworth,  he  was  called  to  New  Haven, 
and  then  to  Wethersfield,  and  visited  us  only  occasionally. 


DR,    NETTLETOX.  121 

"  The  hopeful  converts  were  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  ; 
one  hundred  and  seven  of  whom  united  with  the  church  at  the 
communion  season  in  January,  and  soon  after  twenty-five  more 
— making  in  all  one  hundred  and  thirty-two.  So  far  as  I  have 
known,  with  very  few  exceptions,  they  have  been  careful  to 
maintain  good  works. 

"  The  influence  of  that  revival  upon  the  church,  was  very 
happy.  It  produced  unanimity  of  sentiment  on  doctrinal  points 
about  which  they  had  long  contended,  and  cordiality  of  feel- 
ing where  there  had  been  prejudices  of  long  standing.  Though 
brother  Nettleton  was  a  prophet  in  his  own  country ;  yet  I 
doubt  whether  in  any  place,  his  labors  were  more  highly  ap- 
preciated than  they  were  by  those  who  had  known  him  from 
his  childhood." 

In  the  months  of  October  and  November,  he  preached  a  few 
times  in  North  Madison,  where  was  a  very  interesting  revival 
of  religion,  which  was  greatly  promoted  by  his  labors. 

At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Tenney,  on  the 
23d  of  December,  1820,  he  came  from  New  Haven  to  Weth- 
ersfleld',  where  a  work  of  grace  had.  already  commenced.  He 
labored  here  wTith  great  success  for  three  or  four  months,  occa- 
sionally visiting  other  places  in  the  vicinity. 

The  Religious  Intelligencer,  for  xApril  13th,  1822,  contains 
an  account  of  this  revival,  written  by  Dr.  Tenney,  from  which 
1  make  the  following  extract : 

"  Previous  to  the  revival,  our  church  consisted  of  about  two 
hundred  and  sixty  members.  As  its  fruits,  precisely  two 
hundred  more  have  been  added.  Of  this  addition  seventy- 
nine  are  heads  of  families.  Sixty-two  are  males,  and  thirty- 
two  are  young  unmarried  men,  who  with  ten  previously  in  the 
church,  make  forty-two.  A  number  of  others  have  indulged 
hope,  who  have  not  professed  religion.  Generally,  the  sub- 
jects of  the  work  still  appear  well.  Some  instances  of  con- 
version have  been  strongly  marked.  The  awakening  of  some 
has  been  sudden  and  powerful,  and  has  soon  issued  in  tri- 
11 


122  MEMOIR    OP 

umphant  peace.  In  others,  it  has  been  as  the  still,  small  voice. 
One  individual,  who  had  been  a  total  disbeliever  in  revelation, 
began  and  continued  to  examine  the  subject  of  religion  with  all 
the  coolness  of  a  mathematician  ;  until  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  the  great  truths  of  scripture,  bore  upon  his  conscience 
with  insupportable  power,  and  had  almost  that  '  keen  vibra- 
tion' through  his  soul,  which  makes  hell ;  and  his  heart  yielded 
to  God.  One  aged  man  said,  '  If  I  have  ever  been  born  of 
God,  it  was  on  the  day  I  was  76  years  old.'  Another  said 
respecting  himself,  '  it  was  the  day  when  I  was  68.'  In  one 
family,  a  mother  of  eleven  children,  who  had  long  gone  to  the 
table  of  Christ,  mourning  that  of  her  great  family  there  was 
not  one  to  accompany  her,  now  hopes  that  eight  of  her  chil- 
dren, and  two  children-in-law,  are  the  children  of  God.  In 
another  family,  consisting  of  parents  and  seven  children,  all 
have  indulged  hope  excepting  one  son  who  was  absent  at  sea. 
Two  of  these  are  united  to  a  different  denomination..  A 
widow,  the  mother  of  seven  children,  some  of  them  pious 
years  ago,  now  has  hope  of  all  the  others  ;  the  whole  family 
belong  to  the  church.  Nearly  at  the  very  time  that  a  woman 
experienced  religion  at  home,  her  husband  experienced  it  at 
sea.  Of  the  nature  and  joy  of  their  next  meeting,  let  chris- 
tians judge. 

"  Greatly  are  we  indebted  to  a  number  of  neighboring  min- 
isters, whose  labors  here  were  of  great  use.  Peculiar  are 
our  obligations  to  the  Rev.  Asahel  Nettletox,  who  was 
much  with  us,  and  whose  labors  were  blessed  eminently  and 
extensively.  To  us  and  the  churches  in  this  region,  he  has 
been  of  as  great  use,  as  were  to  ancient  Israel,  their  chariots 
and  horsemen.  Though  in  this  work,  there  has  been  the 
strongest  coincidence  between  the  means  used  and  the  success, 
and  between  the  prayerfulness  of  christians,  and  the  convic- 
tion and  conversion  of  sinners,  yet  God  has  displayed  his 
glorious  sovereignty  as  well  as  faithfulness.  Here,  and  in 
this    section  of  the  country,  God  has    illustriously    displayed 


D  R  .    N  E  I  T  LETO  N  .  123 

his  perfections  in  the  work  which  is  emphatically  His.  To 
Him  all  the  glory  is  due.  To  Him  let  it  be  given  now  and 
evermore." 

While  in  Wethersfield,  Mr.  Nettleton  labored  a  part  of  the 
time  in  Newington,  a  parish  in  the  town  of  Wethersfield, 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Joab  Brace.  Here,  as 
in  other  places,  his  labors  were  accompanied  by  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  of  God.  There  is  an  account  of  the  revival 
in  this  place,  published  by  Mr.  Brace,  in  the  Religious  Intel- 
ligencer for  May  11th,  1822.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  this  account. 

"In  the  summer  of  1820,  an  uncommon  emotion  was  felt. 
There  was  a  sound  in  the  top  of  the  mulberry  trees,  and 
although  the  indication  was  not  distinctly  understood  at  the 
time,  yet  the  result  has  proved,  that  God  had  then  actually 
gone  forth.  A  number  of  serious  persons  were  under  dis- 
tressing apprehension  of  ruin  as  coming  on  this  place,  and 
they  cried  unto  the  Lord  for  help.  Several  women  of  the 
church,  privately  instituted  a  weekly  concert  in  the  closet,  to 
implore  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  A  few  sinners 
were  uneasy,  and  yet  without  very  definite  impressions  ;  and 
there  was  no  awakening  of  a  decisive  character,  until  three 
or  four  months  after  this  period. 

"  This  religious  concern  may  be  traced  to  Wethersfield,  and 
thence  to  New  Haven,  where  the  present  series  of  revivals 
appear  to  have  commenced  in  the  summer  of  1820.  In 
Wethersfield,  the  work  appeared  with  some  distinctness  in 
October  ;  and  in  November,  it  began  to  be  spoken  of  abroad  ; 
but  there  was  no  visible  effect  in  this  place.  I  thought  it 
would  be  a  local  work,  as  revivals  in  this  vicinity,  had  gener- 
ally been  in  former  times  ;  and  did  not  suppose  that  any 
measures  were  to  be  taken  for  extending  it  among  our  people  ; 
but  it  is  of  great  benefit,  that  neighboring  ministers  and  peo- 
ple visit  frequently,  a  place  favored  with  the  energy  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.     The  people  heard   with  awe,  of  what  God 


1 24  MEMOIK      OF 

was  doing  in  the  first  parish  in  this  town  ;  some  persons  went 
over  to  their  meetings,  and  were  distressed  at  the  thought  of 
this  place  being  still  passed  by.  Above  all  other  means,  what 
raised  the  general  attention,  was  the  coming  of  the  Rev. 
Asahel  Nettleton,  on  the  last  of  December,  1820,  as  unex- 
pectedly as  a  messenger  from  heaven,  apparently  commission- 
ed from  the  Almighty  Head  of  the  Church,  and  accompanied 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Next  morning,  he  preached  on  being 
ashamed  of  Christ.  This  fixed  a  listening  ear.  In  the  after- 
noon, he  dwelt  upon  the  causes  of  alarm  to  awakened  sinners. 
In  the  evening  the  assembly  was  crowded,  and  the  attention 
profound.  His  text  was,  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock. 
The  discourse  was  closed  with  surprising  effect,  by  repeating 
the  hymn,  •  Behold  a  stranger  at  the  door.'  When  prayer 
was  ended,  while  the  people  were  standing,  he  made  a  very 
close  application  of  the  subject  to  their  hearts,  in  a  short  ad- 
dress, which  was  very  silently  and  solemnly  heard.  He  re- 
quested them  to  retire  without  making  a  noise.  '  I  love  to 
talk  to  you,  you  are  so  still.  It  looks  as  though  the  Spirit  of 
Cod  were  here.  Go  away  as  still  as  possible.  Do  not  talk 
by  the  way,  lest  you  forget  your  own  hearts.  Do  not  ask 
how  you  like  the  preacher ;  but  retire  to  your  closets,  bow 
before  God  ;  and  give  yourselves  to  him  this  night.1  After 
the  benediction,  he  inquired  of  many  persons  individually, 
1  have  you  made  your  peace  with  God  ?  Do  you  calculate  to 
attend  to  this  subject  V  Many  promised  that  they  would  try 
to  make  their  peace  with  God  immediately — that  they  would 
repent  that  night — and  a  permanent  impression  wTas  made. 
From  this,  the  flame  spread  over  the  parish  ;  the  current  of 
feeling  was  turned  ;  the  people  gathered  around  their  minister 
with  peculiar  attachment ;  meetings  were  crowded  and  sol- 
emn ;  the  things  of  eternity  filled  the  people  with  awe.  The 
work  of  God  seemed  to  be  in  almost  every  house.  Mr.  Net- 
tleton continued  his  visits  from  the  last  of  December  to  the 


DR,    NETTLETON.  \'Z3 

first  of  April,  with  a  beneficial  influence,  which  it  is  hoped 
will  be  felt  in  the  world  of  glory. 

"  Friday,  Jan.  26,  1821,  was  observed  by  the  church  as  a 
special  fast,  in  which  they  were  joined  by  almost  the  whole 
congregation.  It  was  a  solemn  season,  and  as  we  hope,  a 
day  of  new  life  to  some  souls.  In  the  evening,  at  sunset,  a 
meeting  for  inquirers  was  held  at  my  house,  under  the  direc- 
tion and  management  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  while  I  met  the  church 
at  another  house  for  prayer.  In  the  mean  time,  a  great  con- 
gregation had  assembled  at  the  meeting-house,  many  from  the 
neighboring  parishes  ;  and  there  Mr.  Nettleton  discoursed 
with  great  effect,  upon  the  story  of  the  woman  that  washed 
the  Saviour's  feet  with  her  tears  ;  Luke  viii.  37  :  to  the  end 
of  the  chapter.  At  this  time,  experimental  religion  had  be- 
come the  great  theme  of  reflection  and  conversation,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  all  my  people  were  pressing  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven — numbers  were  every  week  embracing  the 
hope  that  they  had  passed  from  death  unto  life.  * 
The  characteristics  of  the  work  may  be  thus  stated.  There 
were  some  instances  of  deep  distress  ;  but  none  of  that  over- 
whelming kind,  in  which  subjects  faint,  or  fall  to  the  ground, 
or  are  unable  to  leave  their  seats.  In  some  cases,  convictions 
were  long  continued ;  in  others,  the  heart  was  speedily  bow- 
ed. Some,  after  long  distress,  rose  almost  imperceptibly  to 
a  faint  hope  ;  in  others,  the  hope  was  bright  and  satisfying. 
No  instances  of  extravagant  joy  occurred,  though  several 
were  much  elevated.  In  convictions,  the  subjects  were  much 
affected  with  their  guiltiness  before  God,  as  with  fear  of 
everlasting  destruction.  When  the  sinner  was  humbled,  he 
acknowledged  his  great  depravity,  his  desert  of  eternal  con- 
demnation, and  his  entire  dependence  on  sovereign  grace  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  was  pleased  with  the  idea  of  uncon- 
ditional submission  to  the  will  and  glory  of  God.  One  prom- 
inent feature  in  the  converts,  was,  a  fear  of  deception.  Much 
was  said  on  the  danger  of  false  hopes,  which  probably  had 
11* 


126  MEMOIR    OF 

an  influence  to  check  flights  of  joy  ;  for  they  were  much  and 
anxiously  inquiring  how  far  the  adversary  might  possibly  be- 
guile.        ######### 

On  the  whole,  it  has  been  a  serious  and  delightful  season. 
Many  souls,  we  hope,  have  been  truly  brought  home  to  Christ ; 
but  also,  many  we  fear  have  quenched  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
taken  up  their  portion  in  this  world ;  still  prayer  is  made 
without  ceasing  for  them.  During  Mr.  Nettleton's  stay  with 
us,  this  place  was  a  common  center  of  divine  entertainment, 
in  comparison  with  which,  all  the  pleasures  of  this  world  are 
faint  and  feeble.  The  multitudes  who  flocked  in  from  the 
neighboring  congregations,  appeared  to  feel  themselves  richly 
repaid  for  their  pains  ;  and  some  of  them  carried  home  the 
spirit,  where  it  spread  and  operated  powerfully,  until  the 
region  appeared  like  the  garden  of  God." 

Feb.  1 8th,  1821,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  his  labors  in 
Farmington.  The  results  which  ensued,  may  be  learned 
from  the  following  account,  written  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Porter, 
pastor  of  the  church  in  that  place,  and  published  in  the  ap- 
pendix to  Dr.  Sprague's  Lectures  on  Revivals. 

"  The  year  1821  was  eminently,  in  Connecticut,  a  year  of 
revivals.  Between  eighty  and  a  hundred  congregations  were 
signally  blessed.  From  the  commencement  of  the  year,  a 
new  state  of  feeling  began  to  appear  in  this  town.  On  the 
first  Sabbath  in  February,  I  stated  to  the  assembly,  the  tokens 
of  the  gracious  presence  of  God  in  several  places  of  the 
vicinity,  and  urged  the  duties  peculiarly  incumbent  on  us  at 
such  a  season.  This  I  had  often  done  before,  but  not  with  the 
same  effect.  Professors  of  religion  now  began  evidently  to 
awake.  They  had  an  anxiety  for  themselves  and  for  the  peo- 
ple, that  would  allow  them  no  rest.  In  their  communications 
with  each  other  and  with  the  world,  they  were  led  spontane- 
ously to  confess  their  unfaithfulness,  and  a  few  without  the 
church,  about  the  same  time,  were  pungently  convicted.  In 
this  state  of  things,  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton  made  us  his  first  visit. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  127 

His  preaching  on  the  evening  of  a  Lord's  day  in  this  month, 
from  Acts  ii.  37,  was  sent  home  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit 
upon  the  hearts  of  many  ;  and  his  discourse  on  the  Wednes- 
day evening  following,  from  Gen.  vi.  3,  was  blessed  to  the 
conviction  of  a  still  greater  number.  As  many  as  fifty  per- 
sons, it  was  afterwards  ascertained,  dated  their  first  decided 
purpose  of  immediately  seeking  their  salvation  from  that 
evening  ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  same  sermon 
was  preached  on  the  following  week  to  two  other  large  and 
solemn  assemblies,  in  the  adjoining  parishes,  with  no  special 
effect  that  could  afterwards  be  traced.  The  fact  probably 
was,  that  here  it  convinced  numbers  that  the  Spirit  was 
already  striving  with  them,  and  that  then  was  their  day.  '  A 
word  spoken  in  due  season,  how  good  is  it !'  At  a  meeting  of 
the  anxious,  on  the  evening  of  February  26,  there  were  present, 
about  a  hundred  and  seventy.  Here  were  persons  of  almost 
every  age  and  class — some  who  a  few  weeks  before,  had  put 
the  subject  of  serious  piety  at  a  scornful  distance,  and  others 
who  had  drowned  every  thought  of  religion  in  giddy  mirth, 
now  bending  their  knees  together  in  supplication,  or  waiting 
in  silent  reflection,  for  a  minister  of  the  gospel  to  pass  along, 
and  tell  them  individually,  what  they  must  do..  Twelve  were 
found  to  have  lately  become  peaceful  in  hope,  and  a  great 
number  to  be  powerfully  convicted  of  sin.  From  this  time, 
so  rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  work,  that  at  the  next  simi- 
lar meeting,  March  12th,  there  were  present  a  hundred  and 
eighty,  (the  room  would  hold  no  more,)  of  whom,  fifty  sup- 
posed, that  since  the  commencement  of  the  revival,  they  had 
become  reconciled  to  God ;  and  a  week  afterwards,  I  had  the 
names  of  more  than  ninety,  who  indulged  the  same  persuasion 
concerning  themselves. 

"  The  state  of  feeling  which,  at  this  time  pervaded  the 
town,  was  interesting  beyond  description.  There  was  no 
commotion,  but  a  stillness  in  our  very  streets ;  a  serenity  in 
the  aspect  of  the  pious  ;  and  a  solemnity  apparent  in   almost 


1 28  MEMOIR     OF 

all,  which  forcibly  impressed  us  with  the  conviction,  that  in 
very  deed,  God  was  in  this  place.  Public  meetings,  however, 
were  not  very  frequent.  They  were  so  appointed,  as  to 
afford  opportunity  for  the  same  individual  to  hear  preaching 
twice  a  week,  beside  on  the  Sabbath.  Occasionally  there 
were  also  meetings  of  an  hour  in  the  morning  or  at  noon,  at 
private  dwellings,  at  which  the  serious  in  the  neighborhood 
were  convened,  on  short  notice,  for  prayer  and  conference. 
The  members  of  the  church  also  met  weekly,  in  convenient 
sections,  for  prayer,  and  commonly  on  the  evenings  selected 
for  the  meetings  of  the  anxious.  From  these  various  meet- 
ings, the  people  were  accustomed  to  retire  directly,  and  with 
little  communication  together,  to  their  respective  homes. 
They  were  disposed  to  be  much  alone,  and  were  spontane- 
ously led  to  take  the  Word  of  God  for  their  guide.  The  Bible 
was  preferred  to  all  other  books,  and  was  searched  daily  with 
eager  inquiry. 

"  Mr.  Nettleton  continued  with  us,  except  during  a  few 
short  intervals,  till  about  the  middle  of  April.  To  his  labors, 
so  far  as  human  instrumentality  wras  directly  concerned,  the 
progress  of  the  revival  must  be  chiefly  ascribed.  The  topics 
on  which  he  principally  dwelt,  were  the  unchangeable  obli- 
gations of  the  divine  law,  the  deceitful  and  entirely  depraved 
character  of  the  natural  heart,  the  free,  indiscriminate  offers 
of  the  gospel ;  the  reasonableness  and  necessity  of  immedi- 
ate repentance  ;  the  vanity  of  those  excuses  to  which  awa- 
kened sinners  are  accustomed  to  resort;  and  the  manner, 
guilt,  and  danger  of  slighting,  resisting,  and  opposing  the  op- 
erations of  the  Holy  Spirit.  His  addresses  were  not  formal 
discussions,  first  of  one,  and  then  of  another  of  these  sub 
jects,  but  a  free  declaration  of  the  truth  of  God  concerning 
them  all,  just  as  they  lie  in  the  course  of  spiritual  experience, 
and  would  best  subserve  the  particular  end  which  he  was 
laboring  at  the  time  to  gain.     They  were  too  plain  to  be  mis- 


D  R  .    N  £  T  T  L  E  T  0  S  1  29 

understood,  too  fervent  to  be  unheeded,  and  too  searching  and 
convincing  to  be  treated  with  indifference. 

"  It  was  a  favorable  circumstance,  that  among  the  first  sub- 
jects of  the  work,  there  was  a  large  proportion  of  the  more 
wealthy  and  intelligent  class.  A  considerable  number  of 
youths,  belonging  chiefly  to  this  class,  had  just  finished  a 
course  of  biblical  instruction,  for  which  I  had  met  them 
weekly,  for  more  than  a  year.  These,  with  scarcely  an  ex- 
ception, at  the  very  commencement  of  the  revival,  embraced 
the  gospel  which  they  had  learned ;  and  by  their  experience 
of  its  power,  commended  it  to  the  families  where  they  be- 
longed. Within  about  three  months,  I  suppose  there  were 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  members  of  the  congregation, 
who  supposed  that  they  had  passed  from  death  unto  life.  On 
the  first  Sabbath  in  June,  a  hundred  and  fifteen  were  added  to 
the  church,  and  at  subsequent  periods,  a  hundred  and  twenty 
besides.  Of  these,  a  few  have  since  been  rejected,  and  others 
have  declined  from  their  first  love.  But  I  have  not  perceived 
that  a  greater  proportion  of  hopeful  conversions  in  this  revival, 
than  in  others,  previous  or  subsequent  to  it,  have  proved  un- 
sound. Many  have  died,  and  many  have  removed  from  our 
immediate  connexion,  but  those  who  remain,  now  constitute 
the  chief  strength  of  the  church." 

This  account  was  written  in  1832,  eleven  years  after  the 
revival. 

The  Religious  Intelligencer  for  Sept.  1st,  1821,  contains  an 
extract  of  a  letter  dated  July  16th,  of  the  same  year,  giving 
the  following  brief  notice  of  this  revival. 

"  Of  all  the  revivals  that  I  have  ever  witnessed,  none  have 
so  deeply  interested  my  heart,  none  appear  so  strikingly  to 
manifest  the  power  of  God,  or  the  excellence  of  the  christian 
character,  as  that  with  which  Farmington  has  been  blessed. 
Oh,  I  have  often  thought,  while  residing  among  this  people, 
what  glorious  work  a  revival  of  religion  would  make  in  this 
town.     The  blessed   effect  of  such  a  work  I  have  now  wit- 


130  M  E  M  0  [R    OF 

nessed  ;  and  it  is  beyond  any  thing  I  could  have  had  faith  to 
pray  for.  The  change  in  the  moral  aspect  of  things  is  aston- 
ishing. Many  who  have  been  very  far  from  God  and  right- 
eousness, have  as  we  humbly  hope,  recently  been  brought 
nigh  by  the  blood  of  his  Son.  Some,  whose  moral  condition 
once  appeared  hopeless,  are  now  in  their  right  minds,  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus.  Many  of  the  professed  devotees  of  Mammon, 
have  recently  parted  with  all  for  Christ.  A  large  class  of 
this  community  have  been  eagerly  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of 
riches  ;  and  their  clashing  interests,  combined  with  these 
feelings  of  selfishness  and  pride — which  avarice  fosters,  have 
produced,  as  might  be  expected,  quarrels  among  neighbors, 
and  much  hostility  of  feeling.  The  quelling  of  this  hostile 
spirit,  was  among  the  first  visible  effects  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Of  many,  who  have  formerly  been  not  even  on  speaking  terms, 
it  may  now  be  said,  as  it  was  of  the  early  disciples,  '  See 
how  these  christians  love  one  another.'  Let  any  person  wit- 
ness the  glorious  effects  which  this  work  of  grace  has  produc- 
ed in  Farmington,  and  still  disapprove  of  a  revival  of  religion  ; 
and  it  would  not  be  difficult,  I  think,  to  decide  to  whose  king- 
dom that  person  belongs." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


Labors  in  Pittsfield,  Lenox,  Leo,  Litchfield,  New  Haven,  Somers,  Tolland,  and 
South  Wilbraham. 

In  the  year  1820,  there  was  a  revival  of  religion  in  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey,  late  President  of 
Amherst  College,  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  town.  The 
religious  attention  had  subsided,  and  the  revival  was  supposed 
to  be  at  an  end,  when  in  the  spring  of  1821,  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Mr.  Nettleton,  God  again  appeared  in  his  glory  to  build 
up  Zion.  There  is  an  account  of  this  revival  from  the  pen  of 
Dr.  Humphrey,  in  the  sixth  volume  of  the  Religious  Intelligen- 
cer, from  which  I  make  the  following  extract. 

"  Early  in  the  month  of  May,  the  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton, 
whose  name  is  so  familiar  both  to  the  friends  and  enemies  of 
revivals,  came  to  this  town  to  '  rest  awhile,'  and  to  await  the 
future  calls  of  Providence.  But  he  was  not  to  remain  long 
inactive  ;  and  the  three  or  four  weeks  which  he  thought  of 
spending  in  retirement  here,  were  prolonged  through  as  many 
months  of  unceasing  labor.  By  the  middle  of  May,  there  was 
some  excitement ;  but  whether  it  was  the  effect  of  mere  curi- 
osity, or  of  the  Spirit  beginning  to  move  on  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  it  was  at  first  impossible  to  determine.  For  a  fort- 
night or  more,  nothing  very  decisive  took  place.  Which  way 
the  scale  would  turn,  was  to  us  altogether  uncertain.  Every 
thing  appeared  to  be  hushed  into  silent  and  anxious  expecta- 
tion. It  was  the  stillness  that  precedes  an  earthquake — 
though  the  subsequent  shock  was  neither  sudden  nor  violent. 


1 32  MEMOIR     OF 

"  In  the  latter  part  of  May,  we  ventured,  though  with  con- 
siderable solicitude,  to  appoint  a  meeting  for  the  inquiring,  if 
there  should  be  any  such  in  the  congregation.  Nearly  twenty 
attended,  and  some  of  them  were  found  to  be  under  very  seri- 
ous impressions.  No  professor  of  religion  was  invited  or 
expected  to  attend.  It  was  a  meeting  exclusively  for  those 
who  were  beginning  to  realize  their  exposure  and  their  guilt. 
The  next  meeting  was  better  attended,  and  it  was  found  that  a 
few  were  sinking  in  the  deep  waters  of  conviction. 

"  From  this  time,  the  work  solemnly  and  steadily  advanced, 
particularly  in  the  heart  of  the  town,  where  the  strong  man 
armed,  had  for  a  long  time  kept  his  palace.  He  lifted  up  his 
voice  to  summon  the  mighty  to  his  standard,  but  it  was  in  vain, 
for  the  God  of  Jacob  was  with  us.  So  far  was  the  enemy 
from  making  any  impression  upon  the  camp  of  the  faithful, 
that  his  own  ranks  were  thinned  and  disheartened,  by  the  de- 
sertion of  many  on  whom  he  had  placed  great  reliance,  and  of 
whose  unshaken  allegiance,  he  had  confidently  boasted. 

"  During  the  whole  month  of  June,  the  revival  grew  more 
interesting  and  decisive  every  day.  Many  were  rejoicing  in 
hope,  and  more  were  alarmed  at  their  own  stupidity  and  dan- 
ger. The  voice  of  prayer  was  heard  for  the  first  time  in 
several  of  our  principal  families.  Not  less  than  five  domestic 
altars  were  erected  in  one  day.  In  this  state  of  things,  and 
when  religion  was  the  principal  topic  of  conversation  in  all 
circles,  whether  large  or  small,  it  was  natural  for  those  who 
felt  a  new  and  deep  interest  in  the  subject,  to  wish  for  an 
appropriate  celebration  of  the  fourth  of  July,  and  arrangements 
were  accordingly  made  for  a  prayer  meeting  at  sunrise,  and  a 
public  religious  service  in  the  afternoon.  The  prayer  meeting 
was  well  attended.  At  two  o'clock,  our  large  house  of  wor- 
ship was  filled,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  there 
many  of  our  christian  friends  from  different  and  even  remote 
parts  of  the  county.  The  audience  was  solemn,  notwith- 
standing        *****  But  here  let  me 


D  R  .    N  E  T  T  L  E  T  ON.  133 

draw  a  veil  over  the  painful  interruptions  which  we  experien- 
ced. Charity  hopelh  all  things,  endureth  all  things  ;  and  he 
is  but  a  poor  soldier,  who  can  be  frightened  by  mere  powder. 
It  is  due  to  justice  to  state,  that  all  the  respectable  people  in 
the  town,  (whatever  some  of  them  might  think  of  the  expe- 
diency of  such  a  celebration,),  strongly  disapproved  of  what- 
ever tended  to  disturb  us  in  our  worship.  But  God  meant  it 
for  good.  Through  the  riches  of  his  grace,  an  impulse  was 
that  day  given  to  the  revival,  which  was  long  and  happily  felt, 
and  which  we  shall  have  reason  to  remember  with  no  ordi- 
nary emotions  of  wonder  and  gratitude,  for  a  great  while  to 
come.  Instances  of  conviction  and  conversion  became  more 
frequent  than  they  had  been  ;  and  from  this  time,  the  work 
continued  with  little  abatement,  though  never  so  rapid  in  its 
progress,  as  some  revivals,  till  the  month  of  October. 

"  The  third  Sabbath  in  September  will  not  be  forgotten  by 
the  present  generation  in  Pittsfield  ;  for  '  that  Sabbath  day  was 
an  high  day.' 

"  To  see  more  than  eighty  persons,  and  one  half  of  them 
heads  of  families,  rising  up  to  enter  into  covenant  with  God 
and  his  people — to  look  round  and  see  who  they  were,  and 
think  where  some  of  them  had  been — to  behold  them  coming 
forward,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor  together,  and  kneeling  to 
receive  the  baptismal  seal — to  hear  their  song — to  witness 
their  emotions,  and  to  welcome  them  for  the  first  time  to  the 
table  of  the  Lord — Oh  it  was  a  scene  which  I  shall  not  at- 
tempt to  describe.  We  had  our  aged  Simeons  and  Elizabeths 
there  ;  and,  we  doubt  not,  there  was  joy  in  heaven.  A  sol- 
emn awe  and  stillness  pervaded  the  great  congregation,  and 
some  sinners  were  that  day  awakened  by  what  they  saw  and 
heard  in  the  sanctuary." 

In  the   foregoing  account,  there   is  allusion  to   what  took 

place  on  the  fourth  of  July.     A  description  of  that  scene  was 

given,  by  a  person  who  was  present,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor 

of  the  Charleston  (S.  C.)  Intelligencer.     It  was  afterwards 

12 


134  MEMOIR    OF 

copied  into  the  Religious  Intelligencer.  I  would  gladly  insert 
the  whole  letter  would  my  limits  permit. 

The  facts  were  these.  The  opposers  of  religion,  finding 
that  a  religious  celebration  of  our  National  Independence  was 
agreed  on,  resolved  to  have  a  political  celebration.  They 
occupied  the  church  in  the  morning. 

"  At  2  o'clock,"  says  the  above-mentioned  writer,  "  they 
who  loved  the  Lord,  and  respected  his  ordinances,  began  to 
assemble  in  the  same  place.  The-  church  was  crowded. 
While  the  people  were  assembling,  and  as  they  passed  near 
the  rioters,  crackers  were  repeatedly  exploded,  in  order  to 
intimidate  them.  The  service  began.  It  went  calmly  and 
sweetly  forward.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Humphrey,  the  pastor,  took 
his  text  from  John  viii :  36.  '  If  the  Son,  therefore,  shall 
make  you  free,  ye  shall  be  free  indeed.'' 

"  He  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  the  word — -fire — was 
given,  and  our  ears  were  suddenly  stunned,  and  the  congrega- 
tion startled,  by  the  report  of  cannon.  It  was  the  attack  of 
the  adversary,  and  it  was  well  kept  up.  But  unfortunately 
for  him  and  his  agents,  every  shot  preached  louder  than  ten 
thousand  thunders.  Meanwhile  the  drums  beat,  and  the  fifes 
played,  and  the  soldiers  marched  back  and  forth  before  the 
church  door,  animated  moreover  by  the  music  of  the  cannon, 
and  the  prospect  of  a  glorious  triumph  over  the  cause  of  God. 
But  alas  !  they  were  laboring  hard  to  defeat  themselves. 
Some  few  christians,  indeed,  of  delicate  frame,  and  quick 
sensibilities,  were  agitated  and  alarmed  ;  and  others,  though 
not  intimidated,  dreaded  the  consequences  of  this  violent  at- 
tack ;  but  generally,  there  were  high  hopes  that  this  tumult 
would  be  overruled  for  good.  And  so  it  was.  So  skillfully 
did  the  preacher  allude  to,  and  apply  his  discourse  to  the  con- 
duct of  the  opposition  out  of  doors  ;  such  advantage  did  he 
take  of  every  blast  of  the  cannon  and  every  play  of  the  drum, 
by  some  well  pointed  remark,  that  it  all  went  like  a  two-edged 
sword  to  the  hearts  of  listening  sinners.     Indeed,  Mr.  H. 


DR.     NETTLBTON  .  135 

afterwards  informed  me,  that  had  he  showed  the  heads  of  his 
sermon  to  his  opposers  previously,  and  earnestly  requested 
them,  when  he  had  reached  such  a  point  in  his  sermon,  to 
fire,  and  when  he  reached  another  point  fire,  they  could  not 
more  effectually  have  subserved  the  purpose  of  his  discourse, 
than  they  did.  Those  gentlemen  who  had  walked  in  the  op- 
posers'  procession,  hung  their  heads,  were  disgusted,  and  in 
some  instances  were  convicted  deeply  of  sin.  One  gentle- 
man, who  had  been  previously  somewhat  serious,  declared  to 
me  that  every  shot  of  the  cannon  pierced  his  soul,  filled  him 
with  a  kind  of  indescribable  horror,  and  brought  him,  through 
the  blessing  of  God,  to  such  a  hatred  and  detestation  of  sin 
in  himself  and  others,  as  constrained  him  quickly  to  fly  to 
Christ. 

"  I  confess  I  trembled  for  the  ark  of  God.  Indeed  I  was  so 
uneasy,  that  after  the  sermon  was  concluded,  I  went  and  ex- 
postulated with  the  ringleader,  whose  companion  in  wicked- 
ness I  once  had  been,  and  over  whom  1  thought  I  might  have 
some  influence.  But  I  had  reason  to  believe  that  in  general 
the  spirits  of  the  children  of  God  were  perfectly  unruffled.  I 
sat  near  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton,  and  so  delighted  was  he  with 
the  discourse,  and  so  accurately  prescient  too  was  he  of  the 
result,  that  whenever  an  apt  allusion  dropped  from  the  lips  of 
the  preacher,  he  would  turn  round  with  a  holy  smile,  and 
whenever  a  shot  from  the  cannon  pierced  our  ears,  he  would 
say — it  would  involuntarily  escape  from  him — '  that  is  good — 
that  is  good.1  Speaking  afterwards  of  the  events  of  this  day, 
he  observed  to  me,  '  Did  you  not  feel  calm.  I  thought  there 
was  a  deep  and  majestic  calmness  overspi'eadi?ig  the  minds  of 
christians.'  I  found  that  very  many  did  indeed  feel  so. 
Nothing  could  be  more  appropriate,  or  more  naturally  arise 
out  of  his  text,  than  Mr.  H's.  description  of  the  miserable 
bondage  in  which  those  out  of  doors  were  faithfully  serving 
their  master. 

«  The  ministers  looked  forward  with  an  alternation  of  hope 


136  MEMOIR     OF 

and  tear  to  the  meeting  of  inquiry,  as  that  meeting  was  gen- 
erally esteemed  a  kind  of  spiritual  thermometer,  by  which  the 
degree  of  warmth  and  feeling  in  the  society  could  be  meas- 
ured. This  was  held  for  an  hour  previously  to  the  evening 
service.  The  time  arrived.  It  was  crowded — never  so  full 
before.  The  daring  and  outrageous  attack  in  the  day  had 
driven  many  to  the  place  in  which  he  that  appeared  was 
always  supposed  to  be  asking,  '  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved ! ' 
This  question  was  emphatically  asked  in  the  meeting.  It  was 
found  that  a  most  powerful  impulse  had  been  given  to  the 
revival.  Nor  was  this  impulse  at  all  weakened  by  the  even- 
ing service. 

"  The  house  was  overflowing.  You  was  there.  You 
marked  the  progress  of  things.  Mr.  Nettleton  that  evening 
put  forth  his  mightiest  efforts.  His  discourse  was  one  con- 
tinued flash  of  conviction.  He  spoke  from  that  part  of  Gen- 
esis xix,  which  treats  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom.  '  Up,  get 
ye  nut  of  this  place?  was  closely  and  powerfully  applied,  and 
when  he  had  given  a  full  account  of  the  nature  and  circum- 
stances of  Lot's  expostulations  with  his  sons-in-law,  he  came 
to  speak  of  the  awrful  stillness  which  remained  over  Sodom, 
while  Lot  was  taking  his  leave.  Oh,  then,  when  all  his  warn- 
ings were  despised,  and  they  would  not  believe  a  word  he 
said,  then — then  when  Lot  was  safely  out  of  Sodom — what  a 
terrible  storm  of  fire  ensued  !  You  remember,  he  turned  the 
heads  of  the  audience  completely  towards  the  windows.  They 
involuntarily  looked  round  to  see  the  conflagration — to  see 
Sodom  in  flames.      It  was  quite  overpowering. 

"  This  was  an  eventful  and  glorious  day  for  Pittsfleld. 
From  that  time  forward  Emmanuel  spread  his  trophies  among 
great  and  small.  They  who  thought  to  crush  the  work  of 
God  were  bitterly  disappointed,  and  retired  with  shame.  The 
fruits  of  this  revival  are  one  hundred  and  forty  converts. 
Praise  the  Lord." 

While  Mr.  Nettleton  was  laboring  in  Pittsfleld,  he  preached 


D  R  .    NET  T  L  E  T  O  N  . 


137 


frequently  in  Lenox.  With  what  success  will  appear  from 
the  following  statement  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Shepard,  pastor  of 
the  church  in  that  place. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1821,  Dr.  Nettleton  came  to  Pittsfield,  in 
consequence  of  an  invitation  from  Dr.  Humphrey.  Dr.  Net- 
tleton was  in  poor  health,  and  Dr.  Humphrey  invited  him  to 
his  house,  with  the  hope,  that  by  being  relieved  from  pressing 
calls,  he  might  recover  his  health.  When  Dr.  Nettleton  first 
came  to  Pittsfield,  he  took  no  part,  I  believe,  in  religious 
meetings.  After  a  while,  he  preached  once  or  twice  in  the 
course  of  a  week.  His  preaching  was  soon  attended  with  a 
divine  blessing,  and  was  undoubtedly  instrumental  of  a  revival 
of  religion  in  Pittsfield,  and  several  other  towns  in  the  vicin- 
ity. When  I  was  from  home  on  a  journey,  Dr.  Nettleton 
preached  in  Lenox  on  the  Sabbath,  and  two  or  three  times  in 
the  course  of  the  week  after  ;  and  on  my  return,  I  found  a 
revival  begun,  and  progressing  in  the  town.  Many  were 
awakened,  and  some  were  rejoicing  in  hope.  He  afterwards 
preached  occasionally  in  my  parish,  as  his  engagements  else- 
where permitted.  The  number  of  hopeful  converts  who  were 
received  into  the  church  as  the  fruits  of  that  revival,  was  ninety- 
one.  Almost  all  of  them  continued  to  adorn  the  doctrine  of 
God  their  Saviour,  by  the  virtues  of  a  sober,  righteous,  and 
godly  life.  '  These,''  as  I  find  stated  in  my  church  record, 
1  These  are  the  fruits  of  a  revival  of  religion  in  this  town  last 
summer.  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton,  was  apparently  instrumental 
of  great  good  in  that  season  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord.  May  the  Lord  reward  him  for  his  labors  of  love ; 
and  may  we  as  a  church,  be  more  humble  and  prayerful ;  and 
may  God  in  his  sovereign  mercy  continue  to  shed  down  his 
divine  influence  here? 

"  You  ask,  '  what  were  the  characteristics  of  his  preaching, 

and  in  what  did  its  chief  excellencies  consist  1 '     I  answer. 

He  held  no  protracted  meetings  ;   nor  did  he  adopt  any  new 

measures  apparently  for  effect.     His  labors  consisted   princi- 

12* 


138  MEMOIR    OF 

pally  in  preaching  the  Word.  He  sometimes  appointed  what 
was  called  an  inquiry  meeting.  At  such  meetings,  he  man- 
ifested an  almost  instinctive  discernment  of  character;  and 
his  remarks,  in  accordance  with  it,  were  sometimes  attended 
with  a  powerful  effect.  In  his  preaching,  his  humility  was 
apparent  to  all.  He  was,  I  believe,  eminently  a  man  of  prayer. 
That  he  entered  the  pulpit,  or  the  inquiring  meeting  directly 
from  the  '  mount  of  communion'  with  his  Maker,  no  one  would 
readily  doubt,  who  was  witness  of  the  holy  calm,  the  indesori!>- 
able,  the  almost  unearthly  solemnity  and  earnestness  of  his 
manner.  His  countenance  was  peculiarly  expressive,  his 
demeanor  was  dignified,  and  his  voice  was  at  times  very  me- 
lodious. The  joy  with  which  his  heart  seemed  to  be  filled 
by  a  contemplation  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  in  giving  his  life  a 
ransom  for  sinners,  marked  his  preaching,  and  imparted  an 
unction  and  uncommnn  energy  to  his  eloquence.  When  he 
spake  of  the  glories  of  heaven,  it  was,  almost,  as  if  he  had 
been  there  himself.  When  he  made  his  appeals  to  the  sinner, 
he  made  them  with  a  directness,  which  placed  before  him,  as 
in  a  mirror,  his  utterly  lost  state.  It  seemed  at  times,  as  if  he 
was  about  to  uncover  the  bottomless  pit,  and  to  invite  the  un- 
godly to  come  and  listen  to  the  groans  of  the  damned  ;  and 
then,  drinking  deeply  of  the  spirit  of  his  master  when  he  wept 
over  Jerusalem,  to  urge  them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come, 
with  an  expression  of  countenance,  which  it  is  not  in  my 
power  to  describe.  Many  who  came  with  a  skeptical  and 
cavilling  spirit  to  hear  him,  had  their  attention  arrested  at 
once  to  the  great  truths  communicated  by  him,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  meeting,  were  anxiously  inquiring  what  they  should  do 
to  be  saved.  The  success  attending  his  preaching,  seemed, 
in  short,  to  be  a  plain  and  clear  illustration  of  all  the  distin- 
guishing doctrines  of  the  gospel,  by  a  humble,  devout,  pray- 
ing, unpretending  man,  constrained  to  his  duty  by  the  love  of 
Christ. 

"  The  influence   of  the  revival  upon  the  interests  of  the 


DR.    NETTLETON.  139 

church  in  this  and  other  places,  was  very  happy,  and  is 
plainly  to  be  seen,  especially  in  regard  to  the  faith  once  deliv- 
ered to  the  saints,  up  to  this  time.  The  tendency  of  Dr.  Net- 
tleton's  preaching,  and  indeed  of  all  his  labors  here  and  • 
where,  as  far  as  I  have  learned  in  regard  to  them,  has  been  to 
establish  the  churches  in  the  faith  and  order  of  the  gospel, 
and  to  strengthen  the  hands  of  every  clergyman  with  whom 
he  labored.  I  never  heard  that  any  minister,  among  whose 
people  Dr.  Nettleton  labored,  ever  expressed  any  regret  that 
he  had  been  with  them.  On  the  contrary,  when  I  at  any  time 
meet  with  a  minister  who  formerly  had  assistance  from  Dr. 
Nettleton,  especially  in  a  season  of  revival,  he  never  fails  to 
express  great  respect  for  him,  and  unfeigned  gratitude  for  the 
benefit  derived  to  him  and  his  people  from  his  labors." 

In  the  month  of  August  he  spent  a  few  days  in  Lee.  In  the 
letter  of  Dr.  Hyde,  published  in  the  appendix  to  Dr.  Sprague's 
Lectures  on  Revivals,  there  is  a  brief  notice  of  his  labors  in 
that  town.  Dr.  Hyde  says,  "  In  the  summer  of  1821,  there 
was  an  evident  increase  of  solemnity  in  the  church  and  con- 
gregation, and  some  individuals  were  known  to  be  anxious  for 
their  souls.  This  appearance  continued  for  several  weeks, 
under  the  same  means  of  grace  which  the  people  had  long 
enjoyed,  but  none  were  found  who  rejoiced  in  hope.  The 
church  often  assembled  for  prayer,  and  in  the  month  of  August, 
we  observed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  The  meeting  house 
was  well  filled,  and  a  deep  solemnity  pervaded  the  congrega- 
tion. The  hearts  of  many  seemed  to  '  burn  within  them,'  and 
there  were  increasing  indications  in  the  rising  cloud, '  of  abun- 
dance of  rain.'  We  began  to  hear  from  one  and  another  a 
new  language,  the  language  of  submission  to  God. 

"  At  this  interesting  crisis,  the  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton  spent 
a  few  days  with  us.  He  preached  five  sermons  to  overflow- 
ing assemblies,  and  his  labors  were  remarkably  blessed.  The 
Spirit  of  God  came  down  upon  us,  '  like  a  rushing  mighty 
wind.'     Conversions  were  frequent,   sometimes  several  in  a 


140  MEMOIR    OF 

day,  and  the  change  in  the  views  and  feelings  of  the  subjects 
was  wonderful.     At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  1  now 

SO  ' 

instituted  what  are  called  inquiry  meetings.  More  than  a  hun- 
dred persons  attended  the  first.  These  meetings,  as  I  found 
them  to  be  convenient,  were  continued  through  this  revival ; 
and  I  have  ever  since  made  use  of  them,  as  occasion  required, 
sometimes  weekly  for  many  months  in  succession.*' 

Mr.  Nettleton  continued  his  labors  in  Berkshire  county, 
making  Pittsfield  the  principal  theatre  of  his  operations,  until 
about  the  middle  of  August,  when  he  returned  to  Farmington, 
where  he  spent  a  few  days  in  delightful  intercourse  with  his 
christian  friends,  and  then  in  the  early  part  of  September, 
repaired  to  Litchfield.  He  had  labored  much  in  Litchfield  at 
different  times  previously,  in  connection  with  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Beecher  ;  but  as  it  was  before  he  began  to  keep  a  journal,  I 
am  unable  to  fix  the  dates.  His  labors  at  these  different 
periods  were  highly  appreciated  both  by  Dr.  Beecher  and  his 
people,  and  were  evidently  blessed  to  the  salvation  of  many 
souls.  In  the  autumn  of  1821,  Dr.  Beecher  was  obliged  to 
suspend  his  labors,  and  travel  for  his  health.  At  this  time 
Mr.  Nettleton  supplied  his  pulpit  from  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember, till  the  middle  of  January,  1822.  When  he  commen- 
ced his  labors,  he  found  things  in  a  very  unpromising  state. 
A  bad  state  of  feeling  existed  in  the  church,  and  great  spiritual 
apathy  pervaded  the  congregation.  But  it  was  not  long  before 
things  began  to  assume  a  new  aspect.  The  church  seemed 
to  awake  out  of  sleep,  and  to  mourn  over  their  backslidings. 
A  spirit  of  prayer  was  poured  out  upon  the  people  of  God  ; 
and  sinners  began  to  inquire  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 

Soon  after  the  revival  commenced,  some  events  occurred 
which  he  feared  would  divert  the  attention  of  the  people  from 
the  great  concerns  of  the  soul.  One  was  a  cattle  show,  and 
another  a  military  review.  But  this  unhappy  result  was  pre- 
vented by  the  blessing  of  God  on  his  prudent  management. 
He  particularly  feared  the  effect  of  the  military  review  on 


DR.    NETTLETON.  141 

certain  young  men  who  were  military  officers,  and  whose 
minds  were  seriously  impressed.  He  requested  those  indi- 
viduals to  meet  him  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  at  the  early 
dawn.  They  came.  He  told  them  that  he  was  convinced 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  striving  with  them,  but  he  feared 
that  their  impressions  might  be  dissipated  by  the  bustle  of 
that  day.  He  warned  them  to  be  on  their  guard — to  refrain 
from  all  vain  and  trifling  conversation,  and  especially  to  avoid 
tasting  a  drop  of  ardent  spirits.  He  then  affectionately  and 
earnestly  commended  them  to  God  in  prayer.  This  timely 
warning  had  the  desired  effect. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  of  his,  dated  Litchfield, 
Oct.  15,  1821,  shows  the  state  of  the  revival  at  that  date. 

"I  have  attended  many  meetings  of  late,  and  some  of  them 
crowded  and  awfully  solemn.  More  attend  meetings  than 
can  crowd  into  the  lower  part  of  the  meeting  house — more  it 
is  said,  than  usually  meet  on  the  Sabbath.  I  think  I  may  say, 
there  is  great  solemnity  throughout  this  place.  A  number  are 
in  deep  distress  of  soul — some  of  them  men  of  influence. 
About  fourteen  are  rejoicing  in  hope.  I  have  ventured  to 
appoint  one  meeting  of  inquiry.  About  one  hundred  attended, 
but  they  were  not  all  under  conviction.  We  are  truly  in  an 
interesting  state,  trembling  between  hope  and  fear.  I  wish 
I  had  time  to  tell  you  a  number  of  anecdotes  about  us  in 
Litchfield. 

In  another  letter  written  by  him  at  New  Haven,  in  March, 
1822,  he  thus  speaks  of  the  revival  at  Litchfield. 

"  The  number  of  hopeful  converts  is  about  seventy,  of  whom 
thirty-eight  have  made  a  profession  of  religion.  There  is 
much  christian  feeling  in  that  place,  and  the  work  is  gradually 
advancing,  as  a  joint  letter  from  a  number  of  the  young  con- 
verts has  recently  informed  me." 

Jan.  17,  1822,  Mr.  Nettleton  again  visited  New  Haven, 
and  labored  with   great  success  in  the  city  and   college,  be- 


1 42  MEMOIR    OF 

tween  two  and  three  months.     The  following  is  an  extract  of 
a  letter  written  by  him  at  New  Haven,  March  20,  1822. 

"  After  more  than  a  year's  absence,  I  have  come  again  to 
New  Haven.  In  the  first  place,  I  made  an  appointment  ex- 
clusively for  young  converts,  in  a  spacious  ball-room,  where 
we  used  to  hold  meetings  of  inquiry.  Though  the  evening 
was  dark  and  muddy,  about  three  hundred  assembled.  Here 
we  called  to  mind,  the  sighs,  and  sobs,  and  songs,  and  joys 
that  are  jtast — scenes  never  to  be  forgotten.  And  when  I 
spoke  of  three  of  their  number,  who  used  to  mingle  their  tears 
and  joys  with  theirs  on  that  floor,  but  whose  faces  we  should 
see  no  more,  for  they  had  gone  triumphantly  to  rest,  it  was 
truly  melting.      We  knelt,  and  wept,  and  prayed  together. 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  tarry  long  in  this  place  ;  but  I  have 
preached  more  than  twenty  times,  and  attended  a  number  of 
inquiry  meetings — at  one,  one  hundred  and  sixty  attended. 
There  are  seventeen  recently  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  five  of 
them  are  students  in  college." 

On  May  12,  1822,  Mr.  Nettleton  commenced  his  labors  in 
Somers.  He  labored  in  this  town  and  South  Wilbraham, 
alternately,  occasionally  preaching  at  Tolland  and  some  other 
towns  in  the  vicinity,  until  the  following  October,  when  his 
labors  were  suddenly  arrested  by  a  dangerous  sickness.  A 
powerful  revival  of  religion  commenced  under  his  preaching 
at  Somers,  which  spread  into  the  surrounding  region.  The 
Rev.  William  L.  Strong,  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Somers. 
In  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  the  Religious  Intelligencer,  dated 
August  1st,  1822,  he  gives  the  following  account  of  the  state 
of  things  among  his  people,  and  the  people  of  South  Wilbra- 
ham, an  adjoining  town. 

"  Dear  Sir — I  am  prompted  by  my  own  feelings,  and  by  a 
knowledge  of  your  solicitude  to  communicate  to  the  public, 
such  information  as  relates  to  the  enlargement  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  to  announce  the  fact  that  God  is  in  the  midst  of  us, 


D  R  .    JN  E  T  T  L  E  I  0  .  1  io 

displaying  the  wonders  of  his  grace.  About  eight  weeks 
since,  it  began  to  be  manifest  that  the  Spirit  was  moving  upon 
the  hearts  of  God's  people,  and  that  sinners  were  no  longer 
indifferent  to  the  momentous  question  of  the  trembling  jailor. 
Soon  the  voice  of  distress  was  heard  ;  and  soon  too  it  was 
mingled  with  that  of  rejoicing  and  praise.  The  work  has 
been  still  and  powerful.  Between  ninety  and  a  hundred  are 
rejoicing  in  hope.  At  our  last  meeting  of  anxious  inquiry, 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy  were  present,  including  sixty 
who  hope  that  they  have  recently  passed  from  death  unto  life. 
The  work  is  still  spreading  and  has,  perhaps,  never  been 
more  interesting  than  at  the  present  moment. 

"  In  South  Wilbraham,  adjoining  this  place  on  the  north, 
God  is  also  doing  a  great  work.  Nearly  forty  have,  within  a 
few  weeks,  taken  up  hopes,  and  the  revival  is  extending  itself 
with  singular  power.  These  are  the  Lord's  doings,  and  they 
are  marvelous  in  our  eyes.  To  him  be  all  the  glory. 
Yours  very  respectfully, 

Wm.  L.  Stroxg." 

There  is  a  somewhat  detailed  account  of  the  revival  in 
South  Wilbraham,  published  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the 
Religious  Intelligencer,  from  which  I  extract  the  following. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  May  last,  the  Rev.  A.  Nettleton, 
(who,  under  the  providence  of  God,  has  been  the  great  in- 
strument in  this  work,)  retired  from  New  Haven  to  Somers, 
the  town  adjoining  this  on  the  South,  for  the  purpose  of  recov- 
ering his  strength,  which  was  much  impaired  by  sickness.  A 
few  weeks  after  he  arrived,  a  report  reached  this  people,  that 
there  wTas  some  religious  excitement  at  Somers  ;  and  that  a 
Mr.  Nettleton  was  there  attending  one  or  two  evening  meet- 
tings  during  the  week.  Indeed,  it  was  shortly  announced, 
that  there  were  several  persons  anxious  for  their  souls. 
Awakened  by  principles  of  curiosity,  some  of  the  young  peo- 
ple of  this  place,  concluded  to  go  down  and  test  the  verity  of 


144  MEMOIR    OF 

these  reports.  The  evening  fixed  upon  was  Friday,  June  21  ; 
and  a  number,  at  an  early  hour,  repaired  to  the  house  of  wor- 
ship in  Somers.  To  their  astonishment,  they  found  a  crowd- 
ed audience,  and  awful  solemnity  pervading  it.  The  subject 
of  humble  submission  to  Christ,  was  effectually  enforced.  To 
some  of  these  visitors,  it  proved  to  be  a  word  in  season.  One 
young  person  was  in  such  deep  anxiety,  as  to  be  unable  to 
return,  and  therefore,  tarried  in  one  of  the  families  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  next  day  she  expressed  a  hope  of  hav- 
ing passed  from  death  to  life.  This,  together  with  other  cir- 
cumstances, awakened  with  Mr.  Nettleton  an  interest  in  the 
people  of  South  Wilbraham,  which  I  may  safely  add,  wras  by 
many,  heartily  reciprocated.  Express  invitations  were,  at  this 
time,  as  well  as  previously,  forwarded  by  the  minister  and 
individuals  of  this  people,  urging  Mr.  Nettleton  to  visit  South 
Wilbraham. 

"  Tuesday,  25.  Mr.  Nettleton  this  afternoon,  for  the  first 
time,  consented  to  have  an  appointment  made  for  him  in  the 
village  hall  at  South  Wilbraham,  at  sun-set. 

"  This  appointment,  though  of  few  hours  previous  notice, 
like  an  electric  shock,  reached  every  extremity  of  the  society. 
At  the  set  time,  the  hall  was  literally  crowded,  and  multitudes 
yet  assembling.  Mr.  Nettleton  took  his  station,  from  which, 
in  the  hall,  little  else  was  to  be  seen  than  a  dense  surface  of 
expressive  countenances  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  from  the 
windows  might  be  seen  trees  and  roofs  of  adjacent  buildings, 
occupied  by  anxious  hearers.  Subject — Ground  of  alarm  to 
awakened  sinners.  Many  were  awakened  to  anxiety  this 
evening.  During  this  and  several  succeeding  weeks  he 
labored  alternately  in  South  Wilbraham  and  Somers. 

"  July  9.  At  the  close  of  public  services  this  evening, 
several  of  our  most  interesting  youth  were  deeply  affected 
with  a  sense  of  their  situation  as  sinners.  One  young  female, 
who  had  sacrificed  many  of  the  evenings  of  the  winter  past 
in  the  ball-room,  and  who  highly  valued  her  excellency  in 


DR.     NETTLE  TON.  145 

that  amusement,  was  this  evening  overwhelmed  with  a  sense 
of  her  guilt.  As  she  dwelt  some  distance  from  the  village, 
she  was  invited  by  one  of  her  companions  residing  near,  to 
spend  the  night  with  her.  At  the  midnight  hour,  a  request 
was  sent  to  Mr.  Nettleton  to  repair  to  this  house.  It  was 
thronged  with  spectators  to  the  scene  of  distress  there  ex- 
hibited. He  found  this  young  female  sustained  in  the  arms 
of  her  friends,  and  in  a  piteous  and  doleful  tone,  repeatedly 
exclaiming,  '  Lord  Jesus,  have  mercy  on  my  soul.'  The 
next  day,  while  in  a  circle  of  young  persons  with  whom  Mr. 
Nettleton  was  conversing,  she  with  one  or  two  others,  ex- 
pressed joy  and  peace  in  believing. 

"  Thursday,  11.  This  afternoon  Mr.  Nettleton  met  sixty 
or  eighty  in  an  anxious  meeting — an  awful  scene  of  distress. 
From  this  we  repaired  to  the  church,  where  he  addressed  us 
on  the  danger  of  grieving  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  was  indeed 
a  heart-searching  subject.  The  sighs  and  sobs  of  anxious 
sinners  were  to  be  heard  from  every  part  of  the  house. 
When  the  speaker  dismissed  his  audience,  a  large  number 
rushed  toward  him,  as  if  expecting  assistance  from  an  arm  of 
flesh.  In  this  situation,  Mr.  Nettleton  addressed  them  about 
five  minutes,  and  requested  them  to  retire  as  silently  as  possi- 
ble. Some  individuals  were  so  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of 
eternal  realities,  that  it  became  necessary  to  urge,  and  even 
assist  them  home. 

"  The  whole  number  expressing  hope  at  this  time,  is  about 
one  hundred.*  Sixty-five  are  propounded  as  candidates  for 
admission  to  the  church  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  October  next. 

"  This  revival  has  extended  its  influence  to  many  of  the 
adjacent  towns.  In  Somers  and  Tolland,  there  are  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  subjects,  hopefully." 

At  the  close  of  the  foregoing  account,  mention  is  made  of 
Tolland.     Here  Mr.  Nettleton  labored  considerably  and  with 
great  success,  in  the  months  of  August  and  September. 
*  This  account  is  dated  Sept.  25,  1822. 
13 


146  MEMOIR    OP 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  written  by  him,  November 
27,  1823,  shows  that  this  revival  became  very  extensive  in 
the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut. 

"  The  revival  of  religion  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  of 
Connecticut,  has,  perhaps,  never  been  more  interesting,  than 
within  a  lew  weeks  past.  I  propose  to  give  you  the  outlines 
of  this  work,  from  the  commencement,  down  to  the  present. 
It  has  heretofore  been  a  common  remark  among  christians, 
that  revivals  have  been  much  less  frequent,  and  less  powerful 
in  the  eastern,  than  in  the  western  part  of  this  state.  Most  of 
these  churches,  in  years  past,  have  been  favored  with  seasons 
more  or  less  reviving,  but  never  with  such  a  general  and  pow- 
erful refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  This  work 
commenced  in  Somers,  June,  1822;  and  has  continued  in- 
creasing and  spreading  like  fire,  from  house  to  house,  and 
from  heart  to  heart,  with  more  or  less  power  and  rapidity, 
until  the  present  moment.  The  following  towns  are  contigu- 
ous, and  have  shared  in  one  extensive  revival. 

"  In  Somers,  one  hundred  and  fifty  have  hopefully  been 
made  the  subjects  of  diyine  grace.  In  South  Wilbraham,  one 
hundred.  In  Tolland,  one  hundred  and  thirty.  In  North 
Coventy,  one  hundred  and  twenty.  In  South  Coventry,  North 
Mansfield,  and  South  Mansfield,  about  one  hundred  in  each. 
In  Columbia,  forty.  In  Lebanon,  ninety.  In  Goshen,  thirty. - 
In  Bozrah,  between  sixty  and  seventy.  In  Montville,  ninety. 
In  Chaplin,  fifty.  The  work  has  recently  commenced,  and 
is  advancing  with  power  in  Hampton,  and  within  a  few  weeks, 
fifty  or  more  are  rejoicing  in  hope.  Within  a  few  weeks  , 
past,  the  Spirit  of  God  has  descended  with  overwhelming 
power  in  Millington,  and  Colchester.  In  the  former  place, 
about  seventy,  and  in  the  latter,  sixty  are  already  rejoicing  in 
hope.  They  have  never  before  witnessed  the  like,  in  rapid- 
ity, power,  and  extent.  In  the  above  cluster  of  towns,  all 
contiguous,  more  than  thirteen  hundred  souls  have  hopefully 
experienced  a  saving  change,  in  the  Congregational  churches, 


DIt.NETTLETON.  147 

since  the  commencement  of  this  revival ;  and  of  these,  more 
than  eight  hundred  have  already  made  a  profession  of  religion. 

"  In  Chatham,  also,  the  work  is  interesting ;  about  seventy- 
are  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  fifty  or  more  have  made  a  public 
profession.  In  Hampton,  Colchester  and  Millington,  many 
are  now  anxious  for  their  souls,  and  inquiring,  what  must  we 
do  to  be  saved  ? 

"  New  instances  of  conviction,  and  of  hopeful  conversion, 
are  daily  occurring  in  these  towns.  The  prospect  of  the 
continuance  and  spread  of  this  work,  is  as  favorable  now,  as  at 
any  period,  if  not  more  so.  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things 
for  Zion,  whereof  we  are  glad,  and  let  all  her  friends  humbly 
rejoice,  and  bow  and  give  thanks  and  exalt  his  name  to- 
gether." 


CHAPTER    IX 


Sickness  at  Bolton — Compilation  of  Hymn  Book — Labors  in  Bethlehem,  Brooklyn, 
Taunton,  Jamaica,  Albany,  Durham,  Lexington,  Virginia,  Monson,  North  Carolina, 
Newark,  New  York— Voyage  to  England— Labors  in  Enfield— Formation  of  the 
Pastoral  Union — Establishment  of  the  Theological  Institute  of  Connecticut — Ap- 
pointment as  professor — The  degree  of  D.  D.  conferred  upon  him. 

For  ten  or  eleven  years,  Mr.  Nettleton  had  been  laboring 
almost  constantly  in  revivals  of  religion.  During  this  time, 
he  preached,  generally,  three  sermons  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
several  during  the  week,  besides  spending  much  time  in  visit- 
ing from  house  to  house,  and  conversing  with  individuals  on 
the  concerns  of  their  souls.  How  he  could  endure  such  accu- 
mulated labors,  was  a  mystery  to  many.  Undoubtedly  his 
constitution  was  so  impaired  by  these  labors,  as  to  render  it 
impossible  to  recover  from  the  shock  of  disease  by  which  he 
was  attacked  in  1822.  It  pleased  God  in  the  fall  of  that  year, 
to  arrest  his  labors,  and  to  lay  him  on  a  bed  of  sickness. 

It  appears  from  a  memorandum  among  his  papers,  that  on 
Oct.  5th,  1822,  he  visited  a  sick  person,  in  South  Wilbraham, 
before  breakfast,  and  took  the  typhus  fever.  He  was  sick  at 
Bolton,  at  the  house  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Parmele.  He  was 
brought  so  low  that  his  life  was  despaired  of,  both  by  himself 
and  by  his  friends.  His  mind  was  composed  and  peaceful. 
As  he  afterwards  remarked,  the  scenes  of  the  revivals  in  which 
he  had  been  engaged,  and  the  countenances  of  the  young 
converts,  were  constantly  before  him  ;  and  the  hymns  and 
tunes  in  which  he  had  been  greatly  interested,  were  running 
in  his  mind  ;  particularly  those  words  : 


DR.    NETTLETON  .  149 

'*  Soon  shall  I  pass  the  gloomy  valo, 
Soon  all  my  mortal  powers  must  fail, 
O,  may  my  last  expiring  breath, 
His  loving-kindness  sing  in  death." 

From  this  sickness,  he  never  entirely  recovered.  He  was 
never  after  able  to  engage  in  arduous  labor. 

While  in  a  very  feeble  state  at  Bolton,  he  received  many 
letters  from  brethren  at  a  distance,  containing  urgent  requests 
that  he  would  come  and  assist  them.  This  induced  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Calhoun,  of  Coventry,  to  publish  the  following  note  in 
the  Religious  Intelligencer,  for  April  5th,  1823. 

"  Mr.  Whiting — I  am  requested,  through  the  medium  of 
your  paper,  to  state  to  the  religious  public,  that  the  Rev.  Asahel 
Nettleton  remains  at  Bolton,  laboring  under  those  bodily  infir- 
mities, which  render  him  incapable  of  engaging  in  the  active 
duties  of  his  profession.  The  prospect  of  his  speedy  recov- 
ery is  not  favorable.  And  it  is  satisfactorily  ascertained  that 
he  experiences  essential  injury  from  the  numerous  and  press- 
ing requests  for  his  assistance,  which  he  receives  from  differ- 
ent places.  The  christian  friends  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  it  is 
believed,  would  confer  a  favor  on  him,  and  would  consult  the 
best  interests  of  the  church,  to  suspend  their  communications 
for  the  present,  and  suffer  him  to  remain  undisturbed  in  his 
retired  situation.  Yours, 

George   A.  Calhoun." 

While  Mr.  Nettleton  was  sick  at  Bolton,  his  friend  Mr. 
Parmele  took  the  fever  of  him  and  died.  Mrs.  Parmele  was 
also  very  sick.  An  interesting  obituary  notice  of  Mr.  Par- 
mele, written  by  Mr.  Nettleton,  was  published  in  the  7th 
volume  of  the  Religious  Intelligencer. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  Mr.  Nettleton  to  a  number 
of  young  converts  in  Wilbraham,  will  be  read  with  interest. 

"  Bolton,  March  4th,  1823. 
"  My  very  dear  Friends. — Some  time   in  December  last,  I 
received  a  very  affectionate  letter,  signed  by  fourteen  names, 
13* 


150  -  MEMOIR    OF 

never  to  be  forgotten.  It  contained  a  friendly  invitation  to  me 
to  go  to  Wilbraham,  as  soon  as  able,  and  there  receive  the 
kind  offices  of  christian  friendship.  As  I  read  the  letter,  and 
dwelt  with  delight  on  each  name,  the  interesting  scenes 
through  which  we  had  passed  together,  rushed  full  on  my 
view.  Had  it  been  possible,  most  gladly  would  I  have  ac- 
cepted your  invitation ;  and  I  should  almost  esteem  it  a  priv- 
ilege to  be  sick,  if  surrounded  by  such  a  circle  of  friends. 

"  A  few  days  since,  I  received  another  token  of  friendship, 
enclosed  in  a  letter  from  one  of  the  number  of  that  same  circle. 
You  will  please  to  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  this,  and  all 
your  former  acts  of  kindness. 

u  I  need  not  inform  you,  my  dear  friends,  of  the  trying 
scenes  through  which  I  have  been  called  to  pass  since  my  last 
visit  in  Wilbraham.  But  our  mercies  are  greater  than  our 
afflictions.  Never  did  I  experience  so  much  kindness  from 
friends  as  during  my  late  sickness.  I  have  often  thought  that 
their  kindness  has  contributed  much  towTards  my  restoration. 
It  certainly  contributed  much  to  the  health  of  my  mind,  by  its 
cheering  consolation.  My  spirits  were  better  than  they  have 
formerly  been,  while  in  usual  health.  I  have  somewhere  seen 
an  expression  like  this — '  The  sympathy  of  friends  in  afflic- 
tion, charms  away  half  the  wo.'  This  I  have  found  to  be 
true  by  experience.  But  the  most  trying  of  all,  was  my  part- 
ing with  our  friend,  Mr.  Parmele.  Born  the  same  year — in 
the  same  town — anxious  for  his  soul,  and  having  made  a  pro- 
fession of  religion  at  the  same  time  with  myself,  he  was  my 
nearest  friend.  Often  have  we  met,  and  prayed,  and  wept, 
and  rejoiced  together  in  revivals  of  religion. 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  forget  the  interesting  scenes  of  last 
summer.  I  think  I  shall  not.  Revivals  appear  the  most  im- 
portant on  a  sick  and  dying  bed.  And  thither  we  are  rapidly 
hastening.  I  wish  I  had  strength  to  tell  you  my  views  and 
feelings  since  I  read  your  last.  During  my  deepest  distress, 
1  was  in  the  midst  of  revivals.     The  tune,  '  Loving  Kindness/- 


DK.     N  E  T  T  L  E  T  ON.  151 

ran  sweetly  through  my  mind  again  and  again,  thousands  of 
times,  connected  with  the  two  last  verses  of  the  eighth  hymn. 
This  I  often  mentioned  to  my  friends,  as  also  the  324th  hymn.* 
I  do  not  recover  my  health  as  fast  as  my  friends  have  been 
expecting.  I  have  not  strength  to  answer  all  the  kind  letters 
I  receive  from  my  friends.  It  is  with  difficulty  that  I  have 
written  this.  My  love  to  all  my  dear  friends,  and  tell  them 
how  much  I  long  to  see  them. 

"  Mr  S is  now  preaching  in  Coventry.  He  calls  fre- 
quently to  see  me,  and  we  talk  over  the  scenes  of  last,  summer 
with  peculiar  delight.  The  revival  which  commenced  in  your 
region  last  summer,  is  still  spreading,  and  advancing  with 
power  in  Coventry,  both  societies.  Let  us  not  forget  to  pray 
that  it  may  continue.  And  now  I  entreat  you  all  to  live  near 
to  God.  Love  one  another.  Live  in  peace,  and  the  God  of 
love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you. 

"  I  am  ever  yours  in  the  best  bonds." 

For  two  years,  Mr.  Nettleton  very  rarely  preached.  Dur- 
ing this  period,  he  took  a  voyage  to  Machias,  Me.,  and  a 
journey  to  Montreal.  The  following  letter  was  written  to 
Mrs.  Parmele,  soon  after  his  return  from  Canada.  It  is  dated 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  Aug.  27th,  1824. 

"  My  Dear  Friend — Yours  of  the  17th  inst.  I  found  at  New 
York,  on  my  return  from  my  long  journey.  I  accept  of  the 
kindness,  but  my  conscience  will  not  allow  me  to  retain  the  en- 
closed. I  have  nothing  special  to  communicate.  I  suppose 
brother  King  informed  you  of  my  journey  to  Montreal.  It  is 
more  than  400  miles  from  New  York.  I  went  in  company 
with  Dr.  McAuley  and  others.  On  our  return  we  came  by 
Saratoga  Springs.  I  was  quite  sick,  and  by  the  advice  ot 
friends,  I  was  persuaded  to  remain  there  a  fortnight,  during 
which  time  I  recruited  in  some  measure.  I  came  to  New 
York  in  the  steamboat  last  Saturday.     I  am  now  thirty  miles 

*  He  probably  here  refers  to  the  Hartford  Collection  of  Hymns. 


152  MEMOIR     OF 

this  side  of  the  city,  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lewis, 
where  I  have  been  two  nights.  I  may  tarry  here  two  or  three 
days  longer,  and  then  hope  to  go  to  Hartford.  I  do  not  preach. 
You  must  pardon  me  for  the  brevity  and  poverty  of  this  letter, 
for  it  still  pains  me  to  write.  There  is  an  interesting  revival 
in  Salem,  Ms.;  but  nothing  special  in  this  region.  I  attended 
the  funeral  of  brother  Whelpley  while  in  New  York.  The 
time  is  short.  I  exceedingly  regret  the  loss  of  so  much  pre- 
cious time.  If  your  health  will  permit,  I  trust  you  will  be 
diligently  employed  in  doing  good.  If  I  were  not  so  idle 
myself,  I  would  tell  you  that,  it  is  good  to  be  busily  employed 
about  something. 

"  In  haste — Yours  as  ever." 

Before  he  was  taken  sick,  Mr.  Nettleton  had  formed  the 
purpose  of  compiling  a  hymn  book ;  and  had  done  something 
towards  collecting  the  materials.  As  soon  as  he  had  so  far 
recovered  from  his  sickness,  as  to  be  able  to  read  and  write 
a  little,  he  entered  on  this  work.  He  finished  it  in  the  early 
part  of  1824. 

The  reasons  which  induced  him  to  undertake  this  work,  are 
thus  stated  in  his  preface  : 

"  With  great  satisfaction  and  pleasure  have  I  often  heard 
the  friends  of  the  Redeemer  express  their  unqualified  attach- 
ment to  the  sacred  poetry  of  Dr.  Watts.  Most  cordially  do  I 
unite  with  them  in  the  hope,  that  no  selection  of  hymns  which 
has  ever  yet  appeared,  may  be  suffered  to  take  the  place  of 
his  inimitable  productions. 

"  Deficiencies,  however,  he  unquestionably  has.  Numer- 
ous have  been  the  attempts  to  supply  them ;  but  hitherto,  the 
judicious  have  been  constrained  to  regret  that  these  attempts 
have  succeeded  only  in  part.  Whether  the  book,  here  pub- 
lished, will  add  something  to  that  supply,  is  submitted  to  the 
decision  of  the  religious  community. 

"  The  compiler  does  not  overlook  the  valuable  labors  of 
those  who  have  preceded  him  in  this  department ;  while  he 


DR.     NETTLETON.  153 

concurs  in  the  opinion,  very  generally  adopted  by  his  brethren 
in  the  ministry,  that  the  various  benevolent  operations,  and 
especially  the  prevalence  of  revivals,  which  are  so  character- 
istic of  the  present  day,  demand  a  new  selection  of  Hymns. 

"  In  the  year  1820,  the  General  Association  of  Connecticut 
appointed  a  committee  to  devise  measures  for  the  prosperity 
of  religion  within  their  limits.  I  well  remember  that  at  a 
meeting  of  that  committee,  the  first  item  proposed  was  a  new 
selection  of  Hymns.  Four  years,  nearly,  have  elapsed,  and 
nothing  has  been  done  pursuant  to  their  appointment. 

"  When  in  the  providence  of  God,  I  had  the  happiness  of 
spending  a  short  season,  as  a  laborer  for  Christ,  within  the 
limits  of  the  Albany  Presbytery,  the  call  for  such  a  work  in 
that  region,  and,  as  I  learned  from  the  most  respectable 
sources,  very  extensively  in  the  west  and  south,  was  not  less 
imperious  and  pressing,  than  in  the  districts  where  I  had  been 
more  particularly  conversant.  In  personal  experience,  and 
discoveries  of  this  description,  originated  the  resolution  to  un- 
dertake the  work.  The  compilation  here  presented  is  the 
result.  The  task  has  occupied  my  attention  much  of  the  time 
for  nearly  two  years.  Especially  has  it  cheered  and  com- 
forted me,  during  the  long  continued  retirement  to  which  a 
severe  sickness  subjected  me. 

"  The  book,  whatever  may  be  its  defects,  is  now  most 
affectionately  presented 

'  To  Zion's  friends,  and  mine.'  " 

The  Village  Hymns  have  had  a  very  extensive  circulation, 
and  have,  it  is  believed,  been  instrumental  of  great  good. 

Mr.  Nettleton,  as  has  already  been  observed,  was  never 
able,  after  his  sickness,  to  engage  in  arduous  labor.  For  the 
first  two  years  he  rarely  preached  at  all.  After  that,  he  was 
not  able  to  preach  constantly — sometimes  only  once  on  the 
Sabbath — sometimes  twice,  without  attending  many  extra 
meetings,   or  devoting   much  time   to  visiting  from  house  to 


154  MEMOIR    OF 

house.  Still  he  was  able  to  do  something  for  the  church,  and 
his  labors,  in  not  a  few  instances,  were  accompanied  with  a 
divine  blessing. 

In  the  autumn  of  1824,  an  interesting  revival  commenced 
under  his  preaching  in  Bethlem.  He  continued  in  this  place, 
assisting  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Langdon,  who  was  sick, 
until  his  strength  failed,  and  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  his 
labors. 

In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Parmele,  of  Bolton,  dated  New  York, 
April  18th,  1825,  he  says,  "  The  occasion  of  my  first  visit  to 
Bethlem,  was  to  see  brother  Langdon  who  was  sick,  and  who 
had  not  preached  for  six  months.  He  was  thinking  about 
asking  a  dismission  when  I  arrived ;  but  he  postponed  it.  I 
preached  for  him  two  or  three  months.  As  many  as  eighty 
persons  assembled  at  his  house  occasionally,  at  a  meeting  of 
inquiry,  of  whom  about  forty  are  rejoicing  in  hope.  The  bur- 
den of  anxiety  on  my  mind  became  so  great  that  I  could  en- 
dure it  no  longer,  and  so  I  left  them.  Having  some  business 
which  could  be  done  in  this  city  better  than  any  where  else,  I 
accepted  an  invitation  to  spend  the  winter  and  spring  here  in 
retirement.  I  am  so  much  retired,  that  my  friends  here  say, 
I  will  not  visit,  nor  be  visited ;  and  yet  I  have  spent  three- 
fourths  of  my  time  and  strength  in  receiving  visits." 

In  the  spring  of  1825,  he  preached  considerably  and  with 
success,  in  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 

In  the  summer  of  1825,  he  preached  in  Taunton,  Ms.  Here 
his  labors  were  made  effectual  to  the  conviction  and  conver- 
sion of  sinners.  The  parish  in  which  he  preached,  was  at 
that  time  destitute  of  a  pastor. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  commenced  laboring  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Cobb,  in  another  parish  in  Taunton.  In  a  letter 
to  a  friend,  dated  Taunton,  Dec.  26th,  1825,  he  says : 

"  The  state  of  things  in  this  society  has  become  quite  in- 
teresting of  late.  Meetings  are  crowded  and  solemn  as  eter- 
nity.    A  number   have   called   to   see  us  in  deep  distress  of 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  155 

soul.  Some  of  them  told  us  that  they  received  their  first  im- 
pressions down  at  the  green  last  summer.  The  fire  was 
already  kindled,  and  has  recently  burst  into  a  flame  in  this  part 
of  the  town.  The  number  of  inhabitants  in  this  society,  is 
comparatively  small ;  and  yet,  last  Saturday  evening,  we  met 
about  sixty  in  the  meeting  of  inquiry.  About  thirty  are  re- 
joicing in  hope.  Of  these,  some  are  youth  of  the  first  respect- 
ability, and  four  or  five  men  of  influence.  Old  professors  of 
religion  tell  us  they  never  saw  such  a  time  before." 

The  following  statement  of  Mr.  Cobb  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest : 

"  Brother  Nettleton  came  to  Taunton  in  the  summer  of  1825, 
and  the  Trinitarian  church  in  this  town  being  destitute,  by  the 
decease  of  their  beloved  pastor,  the  Rev.  Chester  I  sham,  he 
labored  two  months  and  a  half  in  that  congregation.  The 
prospect  of  a  general  and  powerful  revival  of  religion  was 
very  fair.  About  thirty  converts  were  the  fruit  of  his  labors 
among  that  people.  In  this  state  of  things,  a  candidate  for 
settlement  was  procured,  who  subsequently  became  their  pas- 
tor. Brother  Nettleton  retired,  and  came  to  live  in  my  fami- 
ly the  first  of  October,  and  continued  with  me  till  the  middle 
of  January,  1826. 

"  There  had  for  weeks  previous  been  a  solemn  stillness  in 
my  congregation,  and  many  had  been  specially  awakened, 
though  they  had  kept  their  impressions  to  themselves.  When 
brother  Nettleton  commenced  his  labors,  the  revival  immedi- 
ately became  manifest,  and  converts  were  multiplied  almost 
daily  during  his  stay. 

"  His  sermons  w7ere  clear,  sound,  able,  full  of  thought, 
direct  and  simple,  with  unity  of  design.  '  He  seemed  to  be 
destined  to  be  understood.'  He  enlisted  the  hearts  and  hands 
of  all  the  church,  and  especially  the  aged  members — our 
fathers  who  were  well  informed,  and  who  had  borne  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day.  It  was  surprising  to  see  what  overpow- 
ering influence  his   kindness,    devotion   and  faithfulness  had 


1  56  M  £  M  0 1  K    0  F 

upon  all,  old  and  young,  saints  and  sinners.  In  this  state  of 
things,  there  seemed  to  be  a  very  bright  prospect  of  a  glorious 
harvest.  It  was  manifest  that  brother  Nettleton  had  ready 
access  to  every  conscience.  As  the  revival  progressed,  he 
preached  more  and  more  closely  and  doctrinally.  '  The  great 
truths  of  the  gospel,'  were  the  weapons  of  his  warfare,  and 
were  wielded  with  a  spirit  and  an  energy,  which  the  people 
were  unable  to  gainsay  or  resist.  He  was  remarkably  clear 
and  forcible  in  his  illustrations  of  the  sinner's  total  depravity, 
and  his  utter  inability  to  procure  salvation  by  unregenerate 
works,  or  any  desperate  efforts.  He  showed  the  sinner  that 
his  unregenerate  prayers  for  a  new  heart,  his  impenitent  seek- 
ing, striving  and  knocking  would  be  of  no  avail ;  and  that  ab- 
solute, unconditional  submission  to  a  sovereign  God,  was  the 
first  thing  to  be  done.  To  this  duty  the  sinner  was  urged 
immediately  with  great  power  and  conclusiveness  of  argu- 
ment. 

"  His  visits  among  the  people  were  frequent,  but  short  and 
profitable.  He  entered  immediately  on  the  subject  of  the  sal- 
vation of  the  soul,  and  the  great  importance  of  attending  to  it 
without  delay.  He  did  not  customarily  propound  questions, 
and  require  answers,  lest  by  this  means  he  should  turn  the 
attention  of  sinners  from  their  own  wretched  state,  by  leading 
them  to  think  «  how  they  should  reply  to  the  minister.'  He 
was  so  well  acquainted  with  the  human  heart,  that  he  seemed 
to  have  an  intuitive  perception  of  what  was  passing  in  the 
minds  of  those  whom  he  was  addressing.  Thus  he  could  so 
direct  his  conversation  as  to  produce  silence  and  self-condem- 
nation, and  confine  their  thoughts  to  their  own  lost  and  ruined 
state,  sometimes  remarking,  '  You  have  no  time  to  spend  in 
conversation,  before  the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  secured.' 

"  When  any  indulged  a  hope  which  was  not  satisfactory, 
he  would  say,  '  you  had  better  give  it  up,  and  seek  your  sal- 
vation in  earnest.'  Well  versed  in  all  the  doctrinal  and  ex- 
perimental  parts  of  the    gospel ;  feeling  deeply   in  his  own 


D*.    .NETTLETON  157 

heart  the  power  of  divine  truth,  he  was  qualified,  beyond  most, 
to  judge  of  the  character  of  others'  experience  ;  and  though 
mild  and  conciliatory  in  his  manner,  he  was  faithful  in  his 
warnings  against  false  hopes  and  spurious  conversions.  All 
selfish  considerations  in  the  concerns  of  the  soul  he  discard- 
ed ;  and  he  never  used  any  art  or  cunning  to  entrap,  or  pro- 
duce commitment  on  the  part  of  sinners.  In  the  anxious 
circle  he  was  short,  direct  in  his  remarks,  concluding  with  a 
short  and  fervent  prayer  ;  directing  his  petitions  solely  to  God, 
and  not  displaying  eloquence,  or  seeking  to  fascinate  the  con- 
gregation. He  seemed  to  lose  sight  of  man,  and  to  be  absorb- 
ed in  a  sense  of  the  divine  presence. 

"  In  his  intercourse  with  the  people,  he  invariably  produced 
favorable  impressions  on  their  minds  in  regard  to  their  own 
pastor.  He  was  not  the  leader,  but  only  an  assistant  in  the 
work.  My  people  never  before  entertained  and  cherished  so 
high,  and  so  affectionate  a  regard  for  their  pastor,  as  in  this 
revival  ;  and  when  he  left  us  in  the  midst  of  it,  such  was  the 
effect  of  his  course  in  this  respect,  there  was  scarcely  a  word 
of  inquiry  respecting  brother  Nettleton,  and  the  work  went  on 
as  though  he  were  with  us. 

"  In  his  daily  habits  in  my  family,  he  was  constantly  em- 
ployed in  searching  the  scriptures,  or  in  conversation  on  re- 
ligious topics — discussing  doctrinal  points,  or  matters  relating 
to  christian  experience.  He  was  in  this  way  very  social,  and 
an  exceedingly  agreeable  companion. 

"  In  his  sermons,  of  which  I  heard  sixty,  lie  was,  in  man- 
ner, simple.  He  spoke  with  a  clear  voice — Farther  slow  and 
hesitating  at  first,  but  gradually  rising,  till  before  the  close,  it 
was  like  a  mighty  torrent  bearing  down  all  before  it.  His 
eloquence  was  peculiar  to  himself,  and  consisted  in  conveying 
his  own  views  and  feelings  to  the  minds  of  others.  He 
never  failed  to  impress  his  own  ideas  upon  his  hearers. 
As  the  revival  became    more  interesting  and   powerful,    he 

preached  more  doctrinally.     He  brought  from  his  treasure  the 
14 


158  MEMOIR    or 

doctrines  of  total  depravity,  personal  election,  reprobation,  the 
sovereignty  of  divine  grace,  and  the  universal  government  of 
God  in  working  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will. 
And  these  great  doctrines  did  not  paralyze,  but  greatly  pro- 
moted  the  good  work.  Never  had  brother  Nettleton  such 
power  over  ray  congregation,  as  when  he  poured  forth,  in 
torrents,  these  awful  truths.  And  at  no  time  were  converts 
multiplied  so  rapidly,  and  convictions  and  distress  so  deep,  as 
when  these  doctrines  were  pressed  home  to  the  conscience. 
One  evening,  while  our  house  of  worship  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing, he  preached  on  the  doctrine  of  election,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  so  held  by  the  power  of  truth,  that  when  in  the  midst 
of  the  sermon,  an  intoxicated  Universalist  stepped  within  the 
door,  and  cried  out  with  a  stentorian  voice,  and  with  a  horrid 
oath,  '  that's  a  lie,'  scarcely  an  eye  was  turned  from  the  speak- 
er towards  the  door. 

"  The  above  remarks  will  serve  to  give  a  general  idea  of 
the  character  of  this  revival.  The  work  was  still,  and  after 
the  lapse  of  nineteen  years,  we  are  satisfied  that  the  converts 
were  generally,  truly  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds. 
They  appear  still  to  believe  and  love  the  doctrines  of  grace 
by  which  they  were  begotten  to  the  hope  of  the  gospel ;  and 
they  have  walked  in  newness  of  life. 

"  The  influence  which  that  precious  revival  exerted  upon 
the  church  and  society,  has  been  good ;  and  men  who  were 
not  subjects  of  it,  have  been  confirmed  in  their  belief  of  the 
truth  ;  and  their  convictions  that  revivals  may  be  evidently 
the  work  of  God,  have  been  deep  and  lasting;  and  they  speak 
of  that  season  as  a  day  of  divine  power  and  grace." 

The  following  letter  to  Mr.  Cobb,  written  by  Mr.  Nettleton 
soon  after  he  left  Taunton,  will  show  how  deeply  his  own 
feelings  were  enlisted  in  the  work  of  grace,  above  described. 
It  is  dated  New  York,  Feb.  6,  1826. 

"  My  dear  brother: — Yours  of  the  30th  ult.  was  received 
last  Friday.     It  was  truly  refreshing  to  me,  and   to  many  of 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  1  59 

my  friends.  I  cannot  express  the  joy  I  felt  on  hearing  the 
number  and  the  names  of  some  who  entertained  hope  since 
you  wrote  last.  The  young  converts  and  the  anxious  ones 
have  scarcely  been  out  of  my  mind  since  I  left  Taunton. 
Your  letter  contains  more  than  I  had  reason  to  expect,  but  my 
mind  will  not  rest  satisfied  without  possessing  the  names  of 
all  who  have  found  the  Saviour.  When  I  left,  you,  brother 
Cobb,  I  did  not  feel  confident  the  work  would  continue  ;  but 
I  did  not  think  it  would  be  so  rapid.  The  family  where  I 
reside,  have  become  so  interested  in  the  state  of  things  with 
you,  that  they  occasionally  mention  you  and  your  people  in 
their  prayers.  I  think  you  will  do  well  to  note  facts  and 
dates  as  you  pass  along.  You  will  find  them  useful  hereafter. 
You  will  prepare  an  account  for  the  Connecticut  Observer,  or 
some  other  paper,  ere  long.  My  heart  has  been  with  you 
ever  since  I  left,  and  I  was  really  in  hopes  of  making  you  a 
short  visit,  at  least.  But  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  have  been  very 
sick  with  a  fever,  and  for  twelve  hours,  considered  dangerous. 
I  am  surrounded  with  kind  friends,  and  have  every  thing  I 
could  wish.  I  feel  much  better  to-day,  or  I  should  not  be 
able  to  write.  The  physician  says,  it  will  take  some  time 
for  me  to  recover.  I  do  hope  you  will  give  me  some  account 
from  week  to  week  of  the  state  of  things  with  you.  I  fear  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  labor  any  where  during  the  two  following 
months  of  inclement  weather.  If  you  cannot  obtain  help, 
and  are  unwell  yourself,  get  together,  if  you  only  say  five 
words,  and  pray  five  minutes.  Meet  the  anxious  once  a  week, 
if  you  can  only  pray  with  them.  Give  my  love  to  all  the 
young  converts,  and  to  all  the  anxious.  Tell  the  latter,  that  I 
have  not  forgotten  them — that  they  have  scarcely  been  out  of 
my  mind  since  1  saw  them  in  the  circle.  They  must  never 
drop  the  subject.  They  will  never  have  another  such  op- 
portunity." 

On  the  17th  of  March,  a  little  more  than  a  month  after  the 


1 60  m  e  M  out   or 

date  of  the  foregoing  letter,  he  wrote  again  to  Mr.  Cobb,  as 
follows  : 

"  My  dear  brother — The  lapse  of  time  does  by  no  means 
lessen  the  interest  which  I  have  felt  in  forming  an  acquaint- 
ance with  yourself,  and  family,  and  the  people  of  your  charge. 
Not  a  day,  or  a  night  has  passed,  since  I  parted  with  you, 
when  those  interesting  scenes  in  which  we  mutually  shared, 
of  sorrows  and  joys  that  are  past,  have  not  been  fresh  in  my 
mind.  Brother,  these  are  scenes  never  to  be  forgotten. 
Other  trifles  may  occupy  our  time  and  absorb  the  thought,  and 
feelings  of  our  heart  for  a  season,  and  be  forgotten,  or  re- 
membered only  with  regret.  But  oh,  the  scenes  through 
which  you  are  now  passing,  will  follow  you  down  through 
the  track  of  time,  and  are  forgotten  never.  I  sympathize  with 
you  in  all  the  sorrows  and  joys  inseparable  from  the  duties  of 
a  faithful  pastor,  at  such  a  season.  Now,  more  than  ever, 
will  be  realized  the  weight  of  your  responsibility. 

1  'T  is  not  a  cause  of  small  import, 

The  pastor's  care  demands  ; 
But  what  might  fill  an  angel's  heart, 

It  fill'd  a  Saviour's  hands.' 

"  I  was  pleased  with  the  solemn  stillness,  the  readiness  to 
act,  the  apparent  interest,  and  the  decision  of  the  members  of 
your  church.     Were  I  present,  I  would  affectionately  say  to 

them — be   humble be   thankful  for  what   God  has  already 

done — '  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace' — 
pray  much  and  fervently  for  the  continued  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit — do  not  feel  satisfied  with  what  has  already  been  done. 
Brethren,  pray  for  us — for  your  pastor,  that  the  word  of  God 
may  continue  to  have  free  course  and  be  glorified. 

"  I  cannot  forget  that  interesting  circle  which  used  to  meet 
to  consult  on  the  great  concerns  of  the  soul.  Often  have  I 
fancied  myself  seated  in  the  midst  of  that  same  circle — some 
weeping — and  some  rejoicing  in  hope.     Their  countenances 


DE.    NETTLETON.  1 G  1 

are  all  familiar  to  my  mind.  With  what  feelings  of  affection 
and  solemnity,  and  compassion,  have  I  bowed  together  with 
you,  my  friends,  around  the  throne  of  grace.  While  thus 
employed,  often  have  I  thought,  shall  Ave  ever  meet  in  heaven, 
around  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb  ?  Shall  we  be  com- 
panions forever,  in  that  world  of  unclouded  glory  ?  The 
thoughts  of  such  a  meeting  seem  almost  too  much  for  such 
sinners  as  ourselves.  But  I  know  it  is  possible ;  and  the 
vilest  of  sinners  are  invited.  Some  of  the  chief  of  sinners 
will  repent,  and  be  pardoned  and  saved  ;  and  why  not  such 
sinners  as  ourselves  ?  Ah,  none  but  sinners  are  saved,  and 
some  of  the  chief  of  sinners  have  already  been  saved.  And 
I  cannot  but  indulge  the  pleasing  hope,  that  some — that  many 
of  your  circle  will  meet  in  that  world,  where  pilgrims  meet  to 
part  no  more.  Let  all  those  who  indulge  this  heavenly  hope 
themselves,  come  out  from  the  world,  and  by  their  conduct 
and  conversation,  declare  plainly  that  they  seek  a  better  coun- 
try. You  have  yet  to  encounter  the  dangers  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  you  will  need  the  whole  armor  of  God.  You  who 
have  long  been  companions  in  sin,  will  now  become  compan- 
ions, helping  one  another  on  your  way  to  the  heavenly  Zion. 

'  Invite  the  strangers  all  around, 

Your  pious  march  to  join  ; 
And  spread  the  sentiments  you  feel, 

Of  faith  and  love  divine.' 

"  1  cannot  forget  those  anxious  souls,  who  are  still  out  of 
Christ.  With  joy  have  I  heard  the  tidings  oL  many,  whom  1 
left  anxious  for  their  souls.  But  I  have  the  names  of  a  num- 
ber now  before  me,  of  whom  no  such  tidings  have  been  told. 
Where  are  they  ?  Have  they  gone  back  to  the  world  ?  My 
dear  friends,  if  you  have  not  already  given  your  hearts  to 
Christ,  once  more,  from  this  far  distant  region,  would  I  lilt  up 
my  voice,  and  warn  you  by  the  worth  of  your  souls,  to  flee 
from  the  wrath   to  come.     I  entreat  you  not  to  rest  till  you 

14* 


162  MEMOIR    OF 

find  rest  in  Christ.  I  have  not  forgotten  you.  I  shall  still 
remember  you  at  the  throne  of  grace,  till  the  joyful  tidings  of 
your  repentance  have  reached  my  ears  ;  or  the  sorrowful 
tidings  that  you  have  dropped  the  subject  of  religion,  and 
gone  back  to  the  world. 

"  Ever  yours,  in  the  best  of  bonds." 

In  1826,  although  in  very  feeble  health,  God  made  him  the 
instrument  of  a  great  work  of  divine  grace  in  Jamaica,  L.  I. 
He  commenced  his  labors  in  that  town,  on  the  24th  of  Febru- 
ary, and  continued  to  labor  there  until  November.  The  peo- 
ple, when  he  first  came  among  them,  were  very  much  divided  ; 
but  under  his  judicious  management,  their  divisions  were 
healed.  He  preached  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  in  the  even- 
ing ;  omitting  the  usual  afternoon  exercise.  And  although 
he  could  not  attend  many  extra  meetings,  or  spend  much  time 
in  visiting  the  people  ;  yet  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  God 
made  him  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  many  souls. 

In  his  journal,  under  date  of  May  8th,  he  speaks  of  fifty 
rejoicing  in  hope. 

In  a  letter  to  his  friend  Mr.  Cobb,  of  Taunton,  dated  July 
1 3th,  he  says,  "  My  head,  heart  and  hands  are  so  full,  and 
health  so  feeble,  that  I  have  dispensed  with  every  business, 
except  what  was  absolutely  indispensable.  Since  you  left 
us,  we  have  been  much  employed  in  listening  to  the  relation 
of  christian  experience  by  the  young  converts,  preparatory  to 
a  public  profession  of  religion.  For  a  few  weeks  past,  we 
have  attended  to  little  else.  Had  you  been  present,  you 
would  have  been  interested,  if  not  delighted.  On  the  2nd  of 
July,  we  held  our  communion,  and  seventy-two  were  added 
by  profession,  and  three  by  letter.  The  assembly  was  full, 
and  very  solemn.  Eighteen  were  baptized.  Since  that  day, 
the  revival  has  received  a  new  impulse.  Many  were  awak- 
ened, who  have  since  come  out  joyful.  It  has  often  been 
observed,  that  it  seemed  like  the  judgment  day.     We  have 


DR.    NETTLE  TuX.  163 

liad  but  few  meetings  of  inquiry  since  you  left  us.  At  our 
last,  including  young  converts,  there  were  about  one  hundred 
and  forty.  The  work  was  never  more  interesting  than  at  this 
time.  A  number  of  strangers  from  other  towns  have  visited 
us,  and  have  gone  home  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  others  are  in 
deep  distress.  If  I  continue  long  in  this  place,  I  think  of 
appropriating  one  evening  in  the  week  to  visiting  a  circle  of 
strangers.  You  would  be  delighted  with  our  assembly.  We 
have  long  since  been  crowded  out  of  our  session  house.  Our 
meetings  are  now  generally  held  in  the  church.  Many  pro- 
fessors, as  well  as  young  converts,  say,  we  never  knew  what 
there  was  in  religion  before.  '  Old  things  are  passed  away, 
and  all  things  are  become  neM7.'  Although  a  great  proportion 
of  this  population  are  still  strangers  to  the  power  of  religion, 
yet  there  is  little  or  no  apparent  opposition.  Many  who  are 
left,  are  struck  with  solemn  awe,  and  for  their  own  credit, 
are  constrained  to  plead  the  cause  of  God.  ;  Then  said  tiny 
among  the  heathen,  the  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  them? 
"I  have  by  no  means  forgotten  the  young  disciples  in 
Taunton,  nor  those  I  left  anxious  for  their  souls.  How  I  do 
long  to  see  you,  and  all  my  friends  in  Taunton  once  more.  I 
can  only  say,  '  Let  your  conversation  be  as  becomcth  the  gospel 
of  Christ,  that  whether  I  come  and  see  you,  or  else  be  absent,  I 
may  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with 
one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  gospel.' 

"  Yours  in  the  bonds  of  the  Gospel." 

The  following  statement  has  appeared  in  the  New  York 
Observer,  since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  the  me- 
moir. As  it  strikingly  illustrates  Dr.  Nettleton's  manner  of 
dealing  with  sinners  in  different  states  of  mind,  it  is  deemed 
worthy  of  being  preserved. 

"  In  perusing  the  life  of  Mr.  Nettleton,  I  have  had  brought 
vividly  to  my  recollection,  scenes  and  circumstances  con- 
nected with  the  revival  of  religion   in  Jamaica  in   1826,   of 


1  64  M  E  n  0  I  R     OF 

deep  interest  to  me,  and  although  more  than  eighteen  years 
have  passed,  their  interest  is  as  deep  as  ever,  and  I  think, 
strikingly  illustrates  the  wisdom  and  the  prudence  of  that 
truly  wonderful  man  in  dealing  with  awakened  sinners. 

"  The  first  time  I  ever  saw  Mr.  Nettleton  was  on  a  com- 
munion Sabbath  in  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1826. 
Two  strangers  entered  the  church,  and,  walking  slowly  up 
the  aisle,  seated  themselves  in  the  front  pew.  Many  eyes 
were  fastened  upon  them ;  and  after  service,  as  is  common  in 
the  country,  many  inquiries  were  made  as  to  who  they  were, 
for  they  were  evidently  clergymen.  It  was  some  time,  before 
I  learned  that  one  of  them  was  the  '  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton,  the 
great  revival  preacher.'  The  church  in  Jamaica,  as  is  men- 
tioned in  the  memoir,  had  been  greatly  divided.  We  were 
literally  two  bands  hostile  to  each  other,  and  bitter  in  feeling. 
The  Apostle  might  have  said  of  us,  we  were  hateful,  and 
hating  one  another ;  and  there  seemed  but  little  prospect  of 
our  ever  being  any  better.  It  w-as  but  a  sad  spectacle  on  that 
day  presented  to  this  man  of  God. 

When,  a  few  days  after,  1  heard  that  Mr.  Nettleton,  the 
revival  preacher,  was  soon  going  to  preach  for  us,  I  never 
shall  forget  my  feelings.  I  determined  I  would  not  hear  him, 
and  especially  so,  when  an  old  disciple,  long  since  in  glory, 
Mr.  Othniel  Smith,  who  had  listened  with  rapture  to  George 
Whitefield  seventy  years  before,  when  he  preached  in  Jamai- 
ca, said  to  me — '  This  Mr.  Nettleton  that  is  going  to  preach 
for  us  is  a  most  wonderful  man  ;  he  is  said  to  be  the  greatest 
preacher  that  has  been  among  us  since  the  days  of  George 
Whitefield.'  He  said  further,  that,  from  what  he  had  heard 
of  him,  he  believed  he  could  almost  read  a  man's  heart,  so 
wonderful  was  his  knowledge  of  human  nature.  I  well  re- 
member I  secretly  said,  '  He  shall  not  see  my  heart,  for  I  will 
not  let  him  see  me,  so  bitterly  did  I  dread  any  thing  like  close, 
experimental  preaching. 

1  I  had  long  been  a  professor  of  religion,  having  united  with 


DR.    NETTLETO.V.  1 65 

the  Rutgers  street  church  in  1812,  while  Dr.  Milledollar  was 
the  pastor,  and  notwithstanding  I  had  always  been  out- 
wardly consistent,  (regularly  observing  secret  and  family 
prayer,  constant  in  my  attendance  upon  all  the  meetings  of  the 
church,  as  well  the  public  services  of  the  Sabbath,  as  the 
weekly  lecture,  and  the  social  circle  for  prayer,  and  active  in 
all  the  benevolent  operations  of  the  day,)  notwithstanding  all 
this  seeming  consistency  of  character,  there  was  always  a 
fearful  whisper  from  the  faithful  monitor  within,  that  all  was 
not  right.  There  was  a  secret  dread  of  self-examination,  an 
unwillingness  to  know  the  worst  respecting  my  case,  and  the 
idea  of  coming  in  contact  with  a  man  who  would  be  likely  to 
expose  my  shallowness,  if  not  hypocrisy,  I  could  not  endure. 
And  accordingly  I  resolved  that  something  should  detain  me 
from  church  when  Mr.  Nettleton  preached.  But  although  I 
sought  diligently  for  any  excuse,  one  even  the  least  plausible, 
yet  I  could  not  find  one  ;  and,  contrary  to  my  secret  deter- 
mination, I  went  to  church  at  the  appropriate  time  with  my 
family. 

"  After  the  Sabbath,  numbers  of  the  church  members  called 
upon  Mr.  Nettleton  at  his  lodgings,  to  welcome  him  among  us  ; 
and  I  was  repeatedly  requested  to  do  so  with  the  rest :  but 
day  after  day  I  contrived  to  excuse  myself,  although  I  knew 
it  was  a  civility  that  was  expected  of  me.  At  length  a  brother, 
who  had  often  urged  me  to  go,  called  upon  me  to  know  if  I 
would  not  take  Mr.  Nettleton  a  little  ride  in  my  gig,  as  he  was 
in  feeble  health,  having  but  just  recovered  from  a  protracted 
illness,  adding  that  he  found  riding  not  only  beneficial,  but 
necessary,  and  he  knew  I  could  do  it  just  as  well  as  not. 

"  I  never  shall  forget  my  feelings  at  this  proposition.  1  at 
first  refused  outright,  and  was  vexed  that  the  proposition  should 
have  been  made.  I  treated  the  brother  rudely.  He  however 
continued  to  urge,  and  said  he  had  gone  so  far  as  to  tell  Mr. 
Nettleton  he  knew  I  would  do  it  cheerfully.  But  it  was  all  to 
no  purpose.     I  did  not  do  it  that   day,  but  consented  to  call 


166  memoir  of 

upon  him  the  next  morning,  with  my  gig,  at  ten  o'clock,  if  he 
would  be  ready.  The  next  morning  accordingly  I  called  at 
the  appointed  time,  and  was  introduced  to  him  on  the  side- 
walk ;  and  never  did  culprit  dread  the  face  of  his  judge  more 
than  I  dreaded  to  be  brought  face  to  face  with  a  man  who,  it 
was  said  could  almost  read  the  heart. 

"  I  received  him  politely,  and  we  soon  entered  into  a  pleas- 
ant conversation,  about  almost  any  thing  and  every  thing  except 
personal  religion.  This  I  scrupulously  avoided.  I  found  he 
was  in  feeble  health,  and  somewhat  given  to  hypochondria ; 
therefore  I  felt  assured  I  could  entertain  him  by  talking  about 
his  own  ailments.  In  less  than  one  hour  all  my  unpleasant 
feelings  had  vanished,  and  I  felt  as  free  and  easy  with  him, 
as  if  I  was  riding  with  some  long  tried  friend  ;  and  that  which 
I  so  much  dreaded  became  to  me  at  once  a  source  of  great 
pleasure  and  of  much  profit. 

"  The  first  day  he  rode  with  me  about  six  miles  ;  and  after 
that,  for  seven  months,  very  few  pleasant  days  passed,  that  we 
did  not  ride  together  from  five  to  twenty-five  miles.  I  became 
deeply  interested  in  him  as  a  man  and  as  a  preacher.  Why 
I  at  first  liked  his  preaching  I  cannot  exactly  say ;  but  I  was 
unwilling  to  be  absent  from  a  single  meeting.  The  class  of 
subjects  he  chose  as  his  theme  of  discourse  was  new.  The 
distracted  state  of  the  congregation  led  those  clergymen  who 
supplied  our  pulpit  to  select  some  subject  connected  with  chris- 
tian duty.  Brotherly  love,  if  I  remember  right,  was  the  sub- 
ject of  discourse  seven  times  in  about  three  months.  On  the 
contrary,  Mr.  Nettleton  presented  the  claims  of  God  and  the 
duty  of  sinners,  and  here  I  remember  we  had  no  opportunity 
of  scrutinizing  the  sermon,  to  endeavor  to  ascertain  on  which 
side  of  the  division  the  preacher  was.  This  I  considered  a 
master  stroke  of  policy. 

"  Thus  smoothly  and  pleasantly,  comparatively  speaking,  it 
passed  along  with  me  for  about  two  weeks.,  when  one  evening 
he  announced  from  the  desk  that  he  felt  some  encouragement 


DR,     NET  TL  ETON.  167 

to  believe  that  the  Lord  was  about  to  grant  us  a  blessing.  He 
said  he  had  seen  several  individuals  who  were  anxious  for 
their  souls,  and  two  or  three  who  indulged  hope.  How  it 
would  end  with  them  he  could  not  say,  but  he  wanted  the 
church  to  walk  softly  before  the  Lord,  to  be  much  in  prayer, 
&c,  &c.  I  felt  then  that  my  own  case  required  looking  into 
at  once,  or  I  was  lost ;  and  I  resolved  soon  to  attend  to  it,  nor 
to  let  the  present  opportunity  pass.  Mr.  Neltleton  had  never 
yet  said  one  word  to  me  on  the  subject  of  experimental  reli- 
gion, although  I  had  been  with  him  a  great  deal. 

"  The  next  day,  as  usual,  I  called  for  him  to  ride.  I  was 
obliged  to  go  to  Flushing  that  day,  distant  about  five  miles. 
Just  as  we  were  ascending  the  hill,  a  little  out  of  the  village, 
and  before  any  subject  of  conversation  had  been  introduced, 
and  the  horse  on  a  slow  walk,  he  gently  placed  his  hand  upon 
my  knee  and  said — '  Well,  my  dear  friend,  how  is  it  with  you  ? 
I  hope  it  is  all  peace  within.'  I  could  not  speak  fo»  some 
minutes.  He  said  no  more,  and  there  was  no  occasion,  for 
an  arrow  had  pierced  my  inmost  soul.  My  emotion  was  over- 
whelming. At  length,  after  recovering  a  little  self-possession, 
I  broke  the  silence  by  telling  him  frankly  I  was  not  happy — 
there  was  no  peace  within — all  was  war !  war  !  !  war  ! ! !  His 
manner  was  so  kind,  he  instantly  won  my  confidence,  and  I 
unburdened  my  soul  to  him.  I  told  him  how  I  had  felt  for 
years  past,  and  how  very  unhappy  at  times  I  had  been. 

"  He  did  not  seem  inclined  to  talk.  All  he  said  was  occa- 
sionally '  Well — well — well' — writh  his  peculiar  cadence.  At 
length  he  said  he  did  not  feel  very  well,  and  he  wanted  to  be 
still.  This  was  a  request  he  often  made,  and  I  thought  noth- 
ing of  it.  I  have  rode  miles  and  miles  with  him,  and  not  a 
word  has  passed  between  us  after  such  a  request. 

"  I  continued  to  ride  with  him  once  and  twice  a  day  ;  but 
although  I  was  anxious  to  converse,  he  said  but  little  to  me, 
except  occasionally  he  would  drop  a  remark  calculated  to 
make  me  feel  worse  instead  of  better — at  times  greatly  deep- 


168  MEMOIR    OF 

erring  my  distress.  Some  months  afterwards,  I  spoke  to  him 
about  this  part  of  our  intercourse.  He  said  he  did  it  inten- 
tionally, for  he  had  reason  to  believe  many  an  awakened  sin- 
ner had  his  convictions  all  talked  away,  and  he  talked  into  a 
false  hope. 

"  Two  or  three  days  after  he  first  spoke  to  me  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  he  called  at  my  house,  and  requested  me  to 
go  and  see  a  particular  individual,  whom  he  named  and  who 
was  under  distress  of  mind,  and  pray  with  her.  I  told  him 
that  I  could  not  do  such  a  thing  as  that,  for  I  was  not  a  chris- 
tian, myself.  He  replied — '  But  you  do  not  mean  that  your 
not  being  a  christian  releases  you  from  christian  obligations  ? 
If  you  do  you  are  greatly  in  error.  Good  morning  ! '  and  he 
left  me  rather  abruptly.  In  the  afternoon,  when  I  rode  with 
him,  he  did  not  ask  me  if  I  attended  to  his  request,  for  he 
knew  I  had  not.  He  only  made  the  request,  as  he  afterwards 
told  me,  to  thrust  deeper  the  arrow  of  conviction  ;  and  it  had 
the  desired  effect.  My  distress  became  very  great,  and  I  was 
unfitted  for  my  ordinary  duties.  I  felt  as  if  there  was  but 
little  hope  for  such  a  hardened  sinner  as  I  was. 

"  About  this  time  he  appointed  a  meeting  of  inquiry.  I 
told  him  I  should  be  there  for  one.  He  said  I  must  not  attend 
on  any  account — it  was  only  intended  for  anxious  sinners.  I 
told  him  I  certainly  should  be  there,  unless  he  absolutely  for- 
bade it.  '  I  do,'  said  he,  with  more  than  ordinary  earnestness. 
Then,'  said  I,  '  you  must  promise  me  that  you  will  appoint 
a  meeting  for  anxious  professors.'  He  made  no  reply.  This 
anxious  meeting  was  the  first  he  appointed  in  Jamaica.  It 
was  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  a  dear  friend  of  mine,  and  one 
who  knew  something  of  the  state  of  my  mind.  I  went  there 
iii  the  afternoon,  and  made  arrangements  to  be  concealed  in 
an  adjoining  bed-room,  the  door  of  which  could  not  be  shut, 
the  bed  being  placed  against  it.  I  was  on  the  ground  an  hour 
before  the  time  appointed.  Mr.  Nettleton  came  soon  after,  to 
arrange   the   seats  ;  about  this  he  was  very  particular.     He 


D  it  .     NET  T  LETO  N  .  169 

came  into  the  bed-room  where  I  was  concealed  two  or  three 
times  ;  he  wanted  the  door  closed,  but  lie  found  it  could  not 
be  without  disarranging  the  furniture,  and  he  gave  it  up.  He 
did  not  know  I  was  there  until  some  weeks  afterwards.  The 
temptation  to  be  present  at  that  meeting  I  could  not  resist. 
Some  how  I  had  received  an  impression  that  my  salvation  de- 
pended upon  it.  I  had  heard  so  often  about  persons  being 
converted  in  an  anxious  meeting,  that  I  thought  if  I  could  only 
be  present  at  such  a  meeting,  that  was  all  that  was  necessary, 
and  therefore  I  was  willing  not  only  to  run  the  risk  of  offend- 
ing Mr.  Nettleton,  but  willing  to  submit  to  almost  any  humil- 
iating circumstance,  to  accomplish  my  object.  I  thought  it 
was  altogether  a  piece  of  cruelty  in  Mr.  Nettleton  to  forbid  my 
being  present,  and  I  determined  to  carry  my  point  privately,  if 
I  could  not  openly. 

"  Situated  as  I  was,  I  could  hear  next  to  nothing  as  to  what 
was  transpiring  in  the  anxious  room.  Mr.  Nettleton  addressed 
those  present  individually,  and  in  a  very  low  tone  of  voice, 
bordering  upon  a  whisper.  As  he  approached  the  open  door, 
I  could  occasionally  catch  a  sentence,  and  hear  a  deep  and 
anxious  sob — but  these  words,  and  broken  sentences,  and 
sobs,  were  loud  and  pointed  sermons  to  me.  I  wanted  to  get 
out  from  my  hiding  place,  that  I  might  give  vent  to  my  pent 
up  feelings  ;  and  my  anxiety  to  be  released,  appeared  to  be 
greater  than  it  was  to  be  present.  At  times,  it  seemed  as  if 
I  must  cry  out  in  bitterness  of  spirit,  so  agonizing  were  my 
feeling's  ;  especially  so  as  I  heard  him  say  to  one  individual, 
'  Is  it  possible  ?  Well,  I  am  afraid  you  will  lose  your  im- 
pressions, and  if  you  should  what  will  become  of  you  ?  If 
the  Spirit  is  grieved  to  return  no  more,  you  will  lose  your 
soul.'  After  going  around  the  room,  and  conversing  with 
each  individual,  he  made  a  few  general  remarks  applicable 
to  all  respecting  the  danger  of  grieving  God's  Holy  Spirit,  and 
then  dismissed  the  meeting  after  a  short  prayer. 

"  Instead  of  feeling  any  better  after  this  meeting,  as  I  ex- 
15 


170  MEMOIR     OF 

pected  to  do,  I  felt  worse  arid  worse.  Sleep  was  now  taken 
from  me,  and  I  felt  that  death  was  better  than  life.  Either 
that  night  or  the  next,  I  forget  which,  but  remember  it  was  the 
27th  April,  I  got  out  of  bed  about  12  o'clock,  and  went  out 
into  the  woods.  It  was  exceedingly  dark.  I  fell  down  at  the 
foot  of  a  tree,  and  cried  aloud  for  mercy  in  agony  of  soul.  I 
felt  that  God  was  just  in  punishing  me.  I  felt  that  the  longest 
and  the  severest  punishment  he  could  inflict  was  no  more  than 
I  deserved ;  my  sins,  my  aggravated  sins,  appeared  so  great. 
I  remained  out  of  doors  the  most  of  the  night.  In  the  morn- 
ing, early,  before  I  went  home,  I  called  at  Mr.  Nettleton's 
lodgings.  He  sent  word  that  he  could  not  see  me  at  that 
hour.  I  went  away,  and  returned  in  an  hour  or  so ;  he  told 
the  servant  to  request  me  to  be  seated,  and  he  would  be  with 
me  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  Every  minute  now  seemed  an  hour,  and  a  long  one  too. 
For  nearly  thirty  minutes  he  kept  me  in  this  state  of  horrible 
suspense,  during  which  I  was  constantly  pacing  the  floor  with 
my  watch  in  my  hand.  When  at  length  he  entered  the  room, 
1  threw  my  arms  round  his  neck,  told  him  I  was  in  perfect 
agony,  and  that  I  should  die  if  he  did  not  in  some  way  com- 
fort me.  I  told  him  it  seemed  as  if  1  could  not  live  another 
hour  in  such  distress. 

"  7"  can't  help  you,  my  dear  friend,  you  must  not  look  to 
me  :"  and  he  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  what  shall  I  do  V*  I  repeated  over  and 
over  again,  in  a  loud  voice. 

"  You  must  yield  your  heart  to  Christ,  or  you  are  lost !  " 
said  he  ;  and  adding,  '  I  do  certainly  think  your  situation  a 
very  alarming  and  dangerous  one.' 

"  After  a  few  minutes,  he  said,  '  Come,  let  us  kneel  down.' 
This  was  contrary  to  his  usual  practice.  He  made  a  very 
short  prayer,  not  more  than  a  minute  in  length,  rose  from  his 
knees,  advised  me  to  go  home  and  remain  in  my  room,  and 
abruptly  left  me,  almost  overcome  with  emotion.     Had  there 


DR.    NETTLETON.  171 

been  any  means  of  self-destruction  within  my  reach,  I  believe 
I  should  have  employed  it,  so  agonizing  were  my  feelings. 
He  sent  word  to  me  by  a  young  friend,  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  ride  that  day.  I  passed  the  most  of  the  day  in  my  room 
on  my  knees.  Occasionally,  I  walked  for  a  few  minutes  in 
my  garden,  and  then  returned  to  my  room.  It  was  the  just 
and  the  eternal  displeasure  of  an  angry  God  that  seemed  to 
crush  me  to  the  earth.  About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
one  of  the  elders  came  to  see  me.  He  expressed  surprise  at 
my  distress,  said  there  was  no  necessity  for  my  feeling  so  bad, 
he  knew  there  was  not.  He  tried  to  persuade  me  it  would  all 
be  well  with  me  soon.  I  told  him  that  if  he  could  satisfy  me 
that  it  would  ever  be  well  with  me,  I  would  gladly  and  cheer- 
fully endure  my  sufferings  thousands  of  years.  This  feeling 
I  distinctly  remember.  The  justice  of  God  and  the  eternity  of 
his  anger  distressed  me  most.  I  sent  for  Mr.  Nettleton,  but 
he  excused  himself,  and  did  not  come. 

"  Thus  every  refuge  failed  me, 
And  all  my  hopes  were  cross'd." 

"  It  was  past  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and  approaching 
sundown,  and  I  had  not  yet  broken  my  fast.  After  a  short 
walk  in  the  garden,  I  again  entered  my  room,  locked  the  door, 
and  threw  myself  prostrate  on  my  settee,  as  near  a  state  of 
hopeless  despair  as  I  can  conceive  a  mortal  to  be  on  this  side 
the  bottomless  pit.  I  cried  aloud,  '  O  my  God  !  how  long — 
how  long,  O  my  God,  my  God.'  After  repeating  this  and 
similar  language  several  times,  I  seemed  to  sink  away  into  a 
state  of  insensibility.  When  I  came  to  myself  1  was  upon  my 
knees,  praying  not  for  myself  but  for  others.  I  felt  submission 
to  the  will  of  God,  willing  that  he  should  do  with  me  as  should 
seem  good  in  his  sight.  My  concern  for  myself  seemed  all 
lost  in  concern  for  others.  Terror  seemed  all  exchanged  for 
love,  and  despair  for  hope.  God  was  glorious,  and  Christ  un- 
speakably precious.     I    was    an    overwhelming   wonder    to 


172  .M  EMO  !  R     OF 

myself.  The  cry  of  '  Blessed  Jesus — blessed  Jesus  ! J  took 
the  place  of '  Lord  have  mercy.' 

"  After  remaining  in  my  room  half  an  hour  or  thereabouts,  I 
came  down  stairs,  and  met  my  dear  wife,  who  had  deeply  sym- 
pathised with  me  in  my  distress.  I  exclaimed,  '  I  have  found 
Him,  I  have  found  Him,  and  He  is  a  precious  Saviour ! '  She 
was  very  much  overcome.  She  persuaded  me  to  take  some 
food,  but  I  was  so  happy  and  so  anxious  to  go  to  meeting,  the 
bell  having  rung,  that  I  could  eat  but  little.  I  went  over  to 
the  session  house  ;  it  was  crowded — benches  in  the  aisle  were 
filled.  I  obtained  a  seat  near  the  door.  Mr.  Nettleton  was 
reading  the  211th  hymn  of  the  village  collection — 

"  Of  all  the  joys  we  mortals  know, 
Jesus,  thy  love  exceeds  the  rest,"  &c. 

I  thought  I  never  heard  so  sweet  a  hymn,  nor  so  delightful 
music.  I  sung  it  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  of  which  however  I 
was  not  aware,  until  I  saw  I  had  attracted  the  observation  of 
all  near  me.  My  eyes  were  streaming  with  tears,  while  my 
countenance  was  beaming  with  delight,  as  a  friend  afterwards 
told  me.  I  wanted  to  tell  to  all  around  what  a  Saviour  I  had 
found. 

After  service,  I  walked  home  with  Mr.  Nettleton,  and  re- 
mained with  him  a  few  minutes.  '  I  knew  this  morning,'  said 
he,  '  that  the  turning  point  was  not  far  oft?  He  cautioned  me 
again  and  again,  against  giving  way  to  my  feelings  ;  urged 
me  to  keep  humble  and  prayerful,  and  not  say  much  to  any 
one.  That  night  I  could  not  sleep  for  joy.  I  do  not  think  I 
closed  my  eyes.  I  found  myself  singing  several  times  in  the 
night.  In  the  morning  all  nature  seemed  in  a  new  dress,  and 
vocal  with  the  praises  of  a  God  all  glorious.  Every  thing- 
seemed  changed,  and  I  could  scarcely  realize  that  one,  only 
yesterday  so  wretched,  was  now  so  happy.  I  felt  it  perfectly 
reasonable  that  he  who  had  had  much  forgiven  should  love 
much.     I  think  I  sincerely  inquired,  '  Lord,  what  wilt  thou 


1)11  .     NETT  L  ETO  N  .  173 

have  me  to  do  ? '  and  though  eighteen  years  have  passed,  God 
is  still  glorious,  and  Christ  still  precious  to  my  soul  ;  and 
unless  I  am  greatly  deceived,  I  still  pray  for  a  knowledge  of 
my  duty,  and  for  grace  to  do  it.  I  know  that  I  still  love  to  do 
good  and  make  others  happy  ;  and  of  all  anticipated  delights 
which  I  can  place  before  my  mind,  that  of  the  enjoyment  of 
sinless  perfection  in  heaven  is  the  greatest.  But  never  was 
a  sense  of  my  unworthiness  greater  than  it  is  at  present. 

Whnt  was  there  in  me  that  could  merit  esteem 

Or  give  the  Creator  delight  ? 
'Twas  '  even  so,  Father,'  I  ever  must  sing, 

'  Because  it  seem'd  good  in  thy  sight.' 
Then  give  all  the  glory  to  his  holy  name, 

To  him  all  the  glory  belongs, 
Be  mine  the  high  joy  still  to  sound  forth  his  fame, 

And  crown  him  in  each  of  my  songs." 

T.  W.  B. 

Tn  November,  1 826,  he  visited  Albany,  and  remained  there 
through  most  of  the  winter.  While  here,  though  very  feeble, 
God  made  him  the  instrument  of  the  hopeful  conversion  of  not 
a  few  souls.  He  speaks  in  one  of  his  letters  of  eighty  rejoic- 
ing in  hope.  Tn  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Aikin,  of  Utica, 
extracts  from  which  will  be  inserted  in  a  future  chapter,  he 
says,  ';  Would  that  I  had  time  and  strength  to  give  you  partic- 
ulars on  the  state  of  religion  in  this  region,  and  elsewhere. 
In  Albany  it  is  interesting.  I  have  met  a  number  of  circles 
of  different  kinds.  Some  are  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  a  number 
are  anxious  for  their  souls." 

In  the  spring  of  1 827,  he  repaired  to  Durham,  N.  Y.  While 
here,  his  bodily  weakness  was  so  great,  as  to  lead  him  to  ap- 
prehend that  he  was  drawing  near  the  close  of  life.  The  fol- 
lowing letter,  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Williston,  the  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Durham,  will  show  the  state  of  his  mind  at 
that  time.  As  this  letter  is  found  among  Mr.  Nettleton's  own 
papers,  it  may  never  have  been  delivered.  It  is  dated  Dur- 
ham, April  21st,  1827. 
15* 


174  MEMOIR    OF 

"  Brother  Williston — This  day  I  am  44  years  old.  I  feel 
thankful  that  a  kind  providence  has  led  me  to  this  place,  and 
that  I  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  a  short  acquaintance  with 
you.  I  cannot  express  my  feelings  now.  But  in  view  of  the 
uncertainty  of  life,  I  would  say,  that  I  am  happy  in  the  thought 
of  laying  my  bones  in  your  burying  ground.  I  cannot  tell 
how  it  may  be  in  the  solemn  hour  of  death — and  a  willingness 
to  die,  I  do  not  think,  is,  in  itself,  any  evidence  of  grace. 
But  the  thought  of  leaving  the  world,  appears  rather  pleasant; 
and  above  all,  the  thought  of  never  sinning.  I  feel  it  to  be  a 
great  thing  to  be  a  christian.  Such  words  as  these  appear 
sweet.     '  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,'  &c. 

'  O  glorious  hour  ! — O  blest  abode  ! 
I  shall  be  near  and  like  my  God ; 
And  flesh  and  sin  no  more  control 
The  sacred  pleasures  of  the  soul.' 

"  I  feel  a.  peculiar  love  to  ministers — especially  to  those 
with  whom  I  have  labored  in  seasons  of  revival.  Remember 
me  affectionately  to  them  all.  They  will  find  my  feelings  in 
the  twentieth  chapter  of  Acts.  I  feel  a  peculiar  interest  in 
theological  students,  and  I  have  been  wishing  to  leave  some- 
thing that  would  be  useful — something  which  has  been  learn- 
ed by  experience.  I  would  say  to  young  men,  it  is  a  good 
symptom  when  they  secure  the  confidence  of  aged  and  expe- 
rienced ministers.  The  younger  should  submit  themselves  to 
the  elder,  and  always  speak  kindly  of  them. 

"  My  mind  ranges  over  all  the  towns  and  places  where  I 
have  labored  in  seasons  of  revival  with  peculiar  delight.  I 
have  feelings  of  inexpressible  tenderness  and  compassion,  for 
all  the  young  converts.  They  will  find  much  of  them  in  1st 
and  2d  Thessalonians.  My  affectionate  regards  to  all  my  rela- 
tives in  North  Killingworth.  Tell  them  to  prep.ire  to  follow  me. 
I  die  among  kind  friends.  Tell  your  congregation,  and  especial- 
ly the  young  people,  to  seek  an  interest  in  Christ  without  de- 
lay.    When  T  am  buried  on  yonder  hill,  tell  them  to  rernem- 


DR.NETTLETON.  175 

ber  the  evening  when  I  preached  to  them  from  these  words, 
;  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God.''  Whenever  they  pass  my 
grave,  tell  them,  they  will  each  one  remember,  *  there  lies  the 
man  who  talked  to  me  about  my  soul.'  I  die  in  peace  with 
all  mankind.     In  great  weakness, 

Your  affectionate  friend  and  brother, 

A.  N." 

Notwithstanding  his  great  weakness,  while  at  Durham,  his 
labors  were  attended  by  a  divine  blessing.  God  poured  out 
his  Spirit,  and  numbers  were  hopefully  made  the  subjects  of 
renewing  grace. 

In  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  there  was  an  interesting 
revival  under  his  preaching  at  Lexington  Heights,  on  the 
Caiskill  mountains.  Between  thirty  and  forty  were,  in  the 
judgment  of  charity,  called  out  of  darkness  into  marvelous 
light. 

While  at  Lexington,  Mr.  Nettleton  wrote  the  following 
letter  to  Mr.  Charles  E.  Furman,  a  member  of  the  Theologi- 
cal Seminary  at  Auburn,  now  pastor  of  the  church  in  Victor, 
N#Y. 

;t  My  Dear  Friend : — When  I  saw  that  the  captivity  of 
Zion  was  turned,  I  retired  out  of  the  region  of  news  and 
noise,  among  these  mountains.  The  bear  and  the  panther, 
the  wolf  and  the  wild-cat,  it  is  said,  are  occasionally  seen  or 
heard  ranging  the  forests  which  surround  the  village  and  the 
mansion  where  I  now  reside.  The  deer  I  have  seen  leaping 
the  fence  and  the  mound,  with  a  hound  close  to  his  heels.  I 
have  often  been  reminded  of  these  words,  '  And  he  was  with 
the  wild  beasts  ;  and  the  angels  ministered  unto  him.'  When 
the  apostles  returned  to  Christ,  and  gave  an  account  of  their 
mission,  he  said  unto  them,  '  come  ye  yourselves  apart  into  a 
desert  place,  and  rest  awhile.'  Every  itinerant,  preacher, 
especially  if  he  has  been  engaged  in  a  revival  of  religion, 
must  feel  the  need  of  this  last  direction ;  or  suffer  greatly,  if 


176  MEMOIR    OF 

he  long  neglect  it.  I  could  not  advise  any  one  to  be  employed 
in  a  powerful  revival  more  than  three  months,  without  retiring 
into  solitude  for  a  short  time,  to  review  the  past,  and  to  attend 
to  his  own  heart.  He  will  find  much  to  lament,  and  much  to 
correct ;  and  it  is  by  deep  and  solemn  reflection  upon  the 
past,  and  by  this  only,  that  he  can  reap  the  advantages  of  past 
experience.  It  is  not  by  passing  through  many  revivals  of 
religion,  that  we  can  gain  any  valuable  experience  on  the 
subject.  Many  former,  as  well  as  some  recent  examples, 
prove  the  truth  of  this  remark. 

"  The  people  where  I  reside,  are  destitute  of  a  settled  pastor. 
I  have  preached  a  number  of  times  to  a  very  crowded,  silent, 
and  solemn  assembly.  I  have  met  a  number  in  deep  distress 
of  soul  :  and  recently  some  are  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  begin 
to  sing  'Redeeming  Love.'  We  have  a  most  excellent  choir 
of  youthful  singers,  some  of  whom  are  among  the  young  con- 
verts. Last  evening,  I  saw  two  of  the  most  gay  and  thought- 
less of  them,  who  I  feared  were  going  to  be  left,  and  found 
them  in  awful  distress.  I  had  noticed  that  they  did  not  sing 
in  the  choir  on  the  Sabbath  ;  though  they  are  favored  with 
the  sweetest  voices.  On  my  visit,  I  found  the  reason  might 
be  given  in  the  following  beautiful  lines  : 

'  How  can  my  soul  exult  for  joy, 

Which  feels  this  load  of  sin  ; 
And  how  can  praise  my  tongue  employ, 

While  darkness  reigns  within? 
My  soid  forgets  to  use  her  wings, 

My  harp  neglected  lies, 
For  sin  has  broken  all  its  strings, 

And  guilt  shuts  out  rny  joys  !' 

"  I  have  thought  very  seriously  of  requesting  you  to  make 
us  a  visit,  for  I  needed  your  help  to  write  off  tunes,  and  to  aid 
in  learning  them.  But  my  time  here  is  so  short  that  I  could 
not  request  it.  My  health  is  feeble,  though  better  than  it  was 
last  summer.  I  have  been  advised  by  physicians  to  spend 
the  winter  at  the  South  ;  and  it  is  time  to  make  my  arrange- 


DR.     NETTLETON.  177 

ments.  I  wish  to  hear  from  you  soon.  What  is  the  state  of 
things  in  Auburn  ?  My  best  regards  to  Dr.  Richards  and  to 
all  my  friends. 

Yours  truly." 

In  the  fall  of  1827,  he  went  to  the  South  for  the  benefit  of 
his  health.  He  spent  the  winter  in  Virginia,  and  was  made 
the  instrument  of  a  great  work  of  divine  grace.  Dr.  John  H. 
Rice,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Alexander,  thus  speaks  of  his  labors  : 

11  When  Mr.  Nettleton  had  strength  to  labor,  he  soon  was 
made  instrumental  in  producing  a  considerable  excitement. 
This  has  extended,  and  now  the  state  of  things  is  deeply 
interesting.  Five  lawyers,  all  of  very  considerable  standing, 
have  embraced  religion.  This  has  produced  a  mighty  sensa- 
tion in  Charlotte,  Mecklenburg,  Nottaway,  Cumberland,  Pow- 
hattan,  Buckingham,  and  Albemarle.  The  minds  of  men 
seem  to  stand  a  tiptoe,  and  they  seem  to  be  looking  for  some 
great  thing."  "  Mr.  Nettleton  is  a  remarkable  man,  and  chief- 
ly, I  think,  remarkable  for  his  power  of  producing  a  great  ex- 
citement, without  much  appearance  of  feeling.  The  people 
do  not  either  weep  or  talk  away  their  impressions.  The 
preacher  chiefly  addresses  Bible  truth  to  their  consciences.  I 
have  not  heard  him  utter,  as  yet,  a  single  sentiment  opposed 
to  what  you  and  I  call  orthodoxy.  He  preaches  the  Bible. 
He  derives  his  illustrations  from  the  Bible." 

Mr.  Nettleton  remained  in  Virginia,  laboring  in  different 
parts  of  that'  State,  as  his  health  and  strength  would  permit, 
and  with  no  inconsiderable  success,  until  the  spring  of  1829. 

The  following  letter  to  his  friend  Mr.  Cobb,  will  give  some 
idea  of  his  labors  in  Virginia,  and  their  results  : 

"New  York,  Feb.  17,  1831. 

"  My  Dear   Brother  : — Your  very  welcome  letter  of  the 

15th  is   just  received.     It   awakened  in  my  mind  the   most 

tender  recollections  of  scenes  that  are  past — the  years  of  the 

right  hand  of  the  most  High,  never  to  be  forgotten.     I  rejoice 


178  MEMOIR    OF 

to  hear  that  the  subjects  of  the  last  revival  in  your  society, 
so  generally  run  well.  My  most  affectionate  regards  to  every 
one  of  them,  and  tell  them  how  I  should  rejoice  to  see  their 
faces  once  more  in  this  world. 

"  Many  things  have  transpired  in  my  own  history  since  I 
saw  you  last,  and  some  deeply  interesting.  My  turns  of 
faintness  increased  until  1827,  when  the  physicians  despaired 
of  my  life  ;  and  as  the  last  resort,  I  was  advised  to  go  to  a 
Southern  climate.  For  three  winters  I  have  been  in  the 
Southern  States,  and  my  health  has  wonderfully  improved,  so 
that  I  have  been  able  to  labor  almost  incessantly.  The  scene 
of  the  deepest  interest  was  in  the  county  of  Prince  Edward, 
Virginia,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
and  Hampden  Sydney  College.  Our  first  meeting  of  inquiry 
was  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Rice — the  very  mansion  containing 
the  Theological  students.  More  than  a  hundred  were  pres- 
ent, inquiring  '  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  V  Among  the 
subjects  of  divine  grace,  were  a  number  of  lawyers,  six  or 
seven,  and  some  of  them  among  the  leading  advocates  at  the 
bar.  Some  were  men  of  finished  education,  who  are  soon  to 
become  heralds  of  salvation. 

"  During  my  residence  in  Virginia,  I  took  a  tour  across  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  about  two  hundred  miles,  to  spend  a 
short  time  during  the  warm  season.  On  my  way,  I  spent  a 
few  weeks  at  a  place  called  Staunton,  where  I  left  a  pleasant 
little  circle  of  young  converts.  On  a  certain  Sabbath,  as  we 
were  almost  destitute  of  singers,  I  noticed  a  female  voice, 
which  from  its  fullness,  and  sweetness,  and  wildness,  all 
combined,  attracted  my  attention.  On  arriving  at  my  lodgings 
1  inquired  of  a  young  lady  whose  voice  it  could  be,  and  wheth- 
er we  could  not  catch  and  tame  it,  and  enlist  it  in  our  service  ? 
The  name,  I  was  informed,  was  S L.  Will  you  not  in- 
vite her  to  call  and  see  us  ?  '  O,  she  is  a  very  gay  and 
thoughtless  young  lady  ;  was  never  at  our  house,  and  we  have 
no  acquaintance  with  her.'     Tell  her  from  me  that  I  wish  to 


b  E  ,    N  U  T  T  L  E  X  O  N  .  1  79 

see  her — that  I  want  the  aid  of  her  voice.     N went  out, 

and  in  a  few  moments  returned  with  the  interesting  stranger. 
who  sat  down  with  a  pleasing,  pensive  countenance,  which 
seemed  to  say,  now  is  my  time  to  seek  an  interest  in  Christ. 
And  so  it  was,  that  she  and  her  sister,  and  fifteen  or  twenty 
others  became  deeply  impressed,  and  soon  became  joyful  in 
Christ.  This  little  circle  would  call  on  me  daily,  linking 
hand  in  hand,  and  smiling  through  their  tears,  would  sing  Re- 
deeming Love.  I  bade  them  farewell — and  now  for  the 
sequel.  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Dr.  Wardell,  the  wor- 
thy physician  of  that  place,  at  whose  house  I  resided,  from 
which  I  will  give  an  extract.  ■  We  have  had  several  instan- 
ces of  death  from  typhus  fever  since  you  left  us.  The  only 
individual  whom  you  know,  included  in  this  number,  was  one 

of  your  little  circle — S L.     It  will  be  no  less  gratifying  to 

you  than  it  is  to  her  friends  here,  to  learn  that  she  gave  abun- 
dant evidence  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Christian  profession. 
To  go  a  little  into  detail.  She  had  been  complaining  for  sev- 
eral days,  before  she  would  consent  to  lie  by ;  and  did  not 
call  in  medical  aid  for  some  days  after  her  confinement.  I 
first  saw  her  six  days  from  her  first  attack,  when  she  was  en- 
tirely prostrate.  She  said  she  believed  she  should  not  recov- 
er, nor  had  she  any  desire  to  live  longer.  So  far  from  being 
dismayed  at  death,  she  seemed  to  view  it  as  one  of  the  most 
joyful  events.  I  was  in  some  perplexity  to  ascertain  whether 
these  were  the  feelings  of  a  sound  mind,  and  the  vigorous 
exercise  of  faith  ;  and  closely  watched  for  some  incoherences 
which  might  settle  the  inquiry  ;  but  there  was  nothing  of  the 
kind.  She  was  too  weak  to  converse  much,  but  had  her 
friends  summoned  around  her,  to  give  them  a  word  of  exhort- 
ation ;  expressing  a  strong  desire  to  be  the  means  of  leading 
one  soul  to  heaven.  She  took  great  delight  in  gazing  on 
those  whom  she  had  been  accustomed  to  meet  in  your  little 
religious  circle,  because  she  expected  to  meet  them  in  heaven. 
She  often  spoke  of  you,  and  your  little  social  meetings,  prayed 


180  MEMOIR    OF 

for  you,  and  said  she  should  meet  you  in  a  larger  circle  in 
heaven  than  she  had  ever  done  in  Staunton.  In  order  to  test 
the  correctness  of  her  apprehension.  I  asked  her  if  she  would 
feel  no  diffidence  in  being  admitted  into  the  presence  of  a  holy 
God,  and  the  holy  beings  who  surround  his  throne  ?  She  had 
strength  only  to  reply — But  I  am  washed — I  am  washed  ! 
She  lived  fourteen  days  after  I  saw  her  first.  I  have  been 
thus  particular,  because  she  requested  that  some  one  would 
inform  you  of  her  death.' 

"  You  will  pardon  me  for  sending  you  this  little  story.  It 
cannot  touch  your  feelings  as  it  does  my  own.  You  may  read 
it  to  your  young  people  as  a  token  of  affectionate  remem- 
brance from 

"  Their  unworthy  friend." 

While  Mr.  Nettleton  was  in  Virginia,  he  wrote  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  the  Rev.  Lavius  Hyde  ;  and  although  it  contains 
but  little  respecting  his  labors,  it  will  on  other  accounts,  be 
read  with  interest.  It  will  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  Mr. 
Nettleton's  exquisite  sensibility  to  the  beauties  of  poetry. 

"Staunton,  Va.,  March  4,  1829. 
"  My  Dear  Brother — So  many  things  have  transpired  since 
I  left  the  North,  that  I  am  really  at  a  loss  how  to  begin  my 
letter,  or  what  to  say.  Indeed,  I  should  not  probably  have 
sent  you  even  this,  had  not  the  biography  of  our  departed 
friend,  Carlos  Wilcox,*  to  my  surprise,  found  its  way  over 
these  mountains,  into  the  interior  of  Virginia.  I  have  read 
it  with  no  common  interest  alone — also  in  company  with  a 
number  of  ministers  and  Christians,  who  were  greatly  de- 
lighted. Some  part  of  it,  I  mean  the  poetic  part,  I  have  read 
frequently  in  a  circle  of  young  converts  in  this  place.  '  The 
Religion  of  Taste'  has  set  them  all  weeping — especially  from 
the  79th  to  the  91st  verse  inclusive.  A  iew  Sabbaths  since, 
seventeen  persons  made  a  public  profession  of  religion  in  this 

*  Mr.  Hyde  was  the  author  of  this  biography. 


D4.    NETTLETON.  181 

place  :  and  as  they  all  stood  in  a  single  row,  side  by  side,  in 
front  of  the  pulpit,  while  the  minister  was  addressing  them, 
they  affectionately  grasped  each  other  by  the  hand.  With 
wonderful  adroitness,  the  minister  seized  this  circumstance, 
and  observed  that  he  considered  it  as  a  signal  of  the  union  of 
their  hearts.  A  few  days  after,  while  sitting  in  a  circle,  link- 
ing hand  in  hand,  I  read  to  them  for  the  first  time,  '  The  Reli- 
gion of  Taste.'  When  I  came  to  the  87th  verse,  the  effect  I 
cannot  describe.  Others  were  present  who  were  without 
hope,  and  anxious  for  their  souls.  And  oh,  you  cannot  im- 
agine how  solemn  it  was,  when  I  came  to  these  words  : 

•  I  only  wandered  on,  with  none  to  meet 

And  call  me  dear,  while  pointing  to  the  past, 

And  forward  to  the  joys  that  never  reach  their  last, 

I  had  not  bound  myself  by  any  ties 

To  that  blest  land.' 

"  I  do  think  this  piece  contains  specimens  of  exquisite 
painting.  The  fourth  verse  I  have  often  read  to  my  friends 
as  specimens.  The  98th  and  101st  are  favorites.  How  I 
should  like  to  read  and  enjoy  the  whole  of  this,  and  Pollok 
with  you  and  Mrs.  Hyde.  While  reading  the  latter,  how 
often  has  the  thought  crossed  my  mind,  what  would  friend 
Carlos  have  said,  had  it  made  its  appearance  in  his  life  time  ? 

"  I  have  no  time  to  give  you  an  outline  of  my  own  sorrows 
or  joys. 

4  What  matter  whether  pain  or  pleasure  fili 
The  swelling  heart,  one  little  moment  here.' 

"  Providence  permitting,  I  start  for  Prince  Edward  within 
a  few  days,  and  hope  to  visit  New  England  in  the  Spring. 
My  best  regards  to  all  your  family. 

"  Yours  truly." 

The  following  letter  from  a  highly  respectable  clergyman 
in  Virginia,  was  received  too  late  to  be  inserted  in  the  first 
edition  of  this  memoir. 

16 


182  Mi: ai oik    of 

"Cumberland  Co.  Va.  July  17,  1844. 

"Rev.  and  Dear  Sir — I  am  pleased  to  learn  by  a  notice  in 
the  papers,  that  you  are  engaged  in  preparing  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Nettleton.  I  received,  a  few  days 
ago,  a  request  from  our  friend,  Rev.  Michael  Osborne,  that.  I 
would  furnish  you  with  such  information  as  I  could,  in  refer- 
ence to  Dr.  Nettleton's  labors  in  Virginia,  and  the  estimation 
in  which  those  labors  were  held  by  christians  here. 

"  It  was  my  privilege  while  a  young  man  in  the  ministry 
of  the  gospel,  to  share  his  confidence  and  his  friendship, 
during  his  first  visit  to  Virginia  in  1828,  and  the  beginning  of 
'29,  and  I  had  on  two  occasions  afterwards,  an  opportunity 
for  intimate  and  most  delightful  intercourse  with  him.  Du- 
ring the  winter  of  1828,  he  spent  two  weeks  in  my  study  at 
Buckingham  C.  H.,  to  which  place  I  had  just  been  called  as 
the  pastor  of  the  small  Presbyterian  church  there,  and  which 
had  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  his  ministry  for  a  few  weeks 
during  the  summer  of  that  year,  with  the  manifest  blessing  of 
the  Head  of  the  church  on  his  labors.  He  was  then  resting 
from  the  severe  and  exhausting  labors  which  he  had  under- 
gone during  the  summer  and  fall,  at  Hampden  Sydney,  Prince 
Edward  Co.,  at  Buckingham  C.  H.,  and  in  the  valley  of  Vir- 
ginia ;  and  during  those  two  weeks,  I  had  the  highly  prized 
opportunity  of  full  conversation  with  him  about  his  views  in 
theology,  with,  the  doctrinal  history  of  which,  he  was  uncom- 
monly well  acquainted  ;  about  the  whole  subject  of  revivals 
of  religion ;  the  proper  manner  of  presenting  divine  truth  to 
the  understandings  and  consciences  of  men,  in  connection 
with  a  spirit  of  prayer,  and  a  feeling  and  entire  dependence 
on  the  Spirit  and  grace  of  God,  to  make  the  truth  effectual  ; 
and  plans  for  building  up  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  On  all 
these  subjects  he  was  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  in- 
dividual with  whom  I  have  ever  had  intercourse  ;  and  on  the 
subject  of  revivals  of  religion,  incomparably  the  wisest  man  I 
ever  saw.     It  was  a  subject  which  he  had  thoroughly  studied 


DR.     NETTLETON.  183 

in  the  light  of  revelation  and  ecclesiastical  history,  and  on 
which  he  had  an  amount  of  experience  and  observation 
probably  beyond  any  man  living.  You  will  render  most  im- 
portant service  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  if  you  succeed,  as  I 
trust  you  may,  in  getting  before  the  public  mind,  a  full  exhi- 
bition of  his  views  on  this  subject. 

"  He  was  introduced  into  Virginia  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  John 
H.  Rice,  then  Professor  of  Christian  Theology  in  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  Prince  Edward  Co.,  and  very  soon 
began  his  labors  with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  Seminary,  and  Hampden  Sydney  College. 
The  Spirit  of  God  accompanied  his  exhibitions  of  divine 
truth,  and  soon  a  most  interesting  and  precious  revival  of 
religion  was  enjoyed  with  the  church  there.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  this  revival  of  religion,  and  so  were  many  others, 
because  of  the  number  of  educated  gentlemen,  especially 
lawyers  of  high  standing  and  extensive  influence,  who  were 
hopefully  converted  during  this  blessed  season  of  divine  in- 
fluence. Not  many  gentlemen  of  this  profession,  had,  up  to 
this  time,  been  members  of  any  church  in  this  section  of 
country.  Those  referred  to,  were  from  several  adjoining- 
counties  ;  and  this  circumstance  attracted  no  little  attention, 
and  sent  out  an  extensive  and  most  salutary  influence  on  the 
surrounding  country ;  especially  the  county  of  Buckingham. 
This  county,  in  execution  of  his  ordinary  plan  of  making  the 
scene  of  a  revival  a  center  of  influence  for  the  surrounding 
country,  he  took  an  early  opportunity  to  visit.  He  preached 
at  the  Court  House  for  a  few  Sabbaths,  to  a  small  church 
which  had  been  organized  a  few  years  before  ;  and  here  his 
ministry  excited  great  attention,  and  was  accompanied  with 
the  special  blessing  of  heaven.  The  revival  at  this  place 
was  not  extensive,  but  it  laid  the  foundation,  as  I  had  occa- 
sion to  know,  for  building  up  quite  a  flourishing  Presbyterian 
church  in  that  region.  I  had  on  the  ground  an  interesting- 
opportunity  to  observe  the  practical  effects  of  a  genuine  re- 


184  MEMOIR     OF 

vival  of  religion,  conducted  on  true  scriptural  principles,  as  I 
began  to  minister  to  that  community  in  the  beginning  of  the 
winter  of  that  year.  The  views  of  religion  which  he  pre- 
sented, were  so  scriptural,  and  rational,  commending  them- 
selves to  every  man's  conscience  ;  and  the  sympathies  of  the 
community,  in  the  midst  of  deep  interest  and  intense  feeling, 
were  so  wisely  managed,  avoiding  every  thing  like  extrava- 
gance and  fanaticism,  that  the  sober  and  well-balanced  minds 
of  those  without,  could  find  no  occasion  to  object  to  any  thing 
that  was  said  or  done.  When  Dr.  Nettleton  went  away,  the 
consciences  of  the  people  were  left  on  the  side  of  rational 
and  intelligent  piety.  The  young  people,  too,  grew  up  under 
the  impression  that  revivals  of  religion  are  blessed  seasons ; 
so  that  when  another  revival  came,  the  obstacles  in  the  way 
seemed  to  be  small.  That  church  has  been  emphatically 
one  of  revivals  ever  since,  and  has  been  mainly  built  up  by 
them.  The  same  impression,  as  I  have  had  opportunity  to 
know,  was  left  on  the  public  mind  by  the  revival  in  Prince 
Edward  Qo.,  as  indeed,  it  always  will  be,  when  a  genuine 
revival  of  religion,  properly  conducted,  is  enjoyed. 

':  Towards  the  close  of  the  summer  of  that  year,  Dr.  Nettle- 
ton's  health,  which  was  quite  feeble  when  he  came  to  Vir- 
ginia, rendered  it  proper  as  he  thought,  that  he  should  visit 
the  mountains,  and  the  mineral  springs  located  among  them. 
He  could  not,  however,  during  his  excursion,  debar  himself 
the  privilege  of  preaching  the  gospel.  He  labored  for  a  few 
weeks,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  but  not  to  the  same  extent 
as  at  Prince  Edward,  and  Buckingham  C.  H.,  at  Lewisburg, 
Greenbrier  Co.,  and  at  Staunton,  Augusta  Co. 

"  These  trips  gave  him  an  opportunity  for  extending  his 
acquaintance  and  his  influence  with  the  clergy  of  Virginia, 
by  whom  he  was  every  where  received  with  the  utmost  cor- 
diality and  christian  affection.  The  report  of  the  blessing  of 
God  on  his  labors  for  Christ,  which  preceded  him,  opened 
the  hearts  of  all  our  ministers  and  people  towards  him,     You 


DR.    NETTLETON.  185 

doubtless  had  an  opportunity  to  know  how  ihe  cordiality  and 
christian  affection  of  his  Virginia  brethren  affected  him.  On 
their  part,  I  had  many  occasions  to  know,  they  regarded  his 
visit  to  Virginia  as  a  great  blessing  to  our  churches.  I  have 
always  thought,  that  Dr.  Nettleton's  sojourn  among  us  was 
worth  more  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  from  the  influence  which 
he  exerted  on  the  minds  of  ministers,  than  in  any  other  point 
of  view.  He  certainly  exerted  no  little  influence  on  the  man- 
ner of  preaching  the  gospel  in  this  part  of  the  state  ;  but 
probably,  yet  greater  good  resulted  from  the  interest  which 
he  excited  on  the  subject  of  genuine  revivals  of  religion. 
Our  churches  had  been  blessed  with  such  seasons  of  refresh- 
ing before  ;  but  the  subject  had  not  been  any  thing  like  so 
well  understood.  The  views  which  followed  his  visit,  have 
powerfully  influenced  the  minds  of  ministers  and  christians 
generally  ever  since  ;  and  their  hallowed  influence,  we  may 
reasonably  hope,  will  go  down  upon  the  church  for  many 
years  to  come.  He  felt  great  interest  in  the  students  of  our 
seminary,  who  were  soon  to  be  in  the  field  of  ministerial 
labor,  and  cordially  co-operated  with  good  Dr.  Rice,  in  efforts 
to  imbue  them  with  the  right  spirit  for  the  great  work  of 
preaching  the  gospel.  I  well  knew  how  high  a  value  Dr. 
Rice  placed  on  his  visit  to  the  seminary,  and  on  the  opportu- 
nity which  his  young  men  enjoyed  for  witnessing  his  manner 
of  presenting  divine  truth,  and  conducting  things  in  a  revival 
of  religion.  His  interest  on  the  subject  of  revivals  was  in- 
tense ;  and  as  he  regarded  them  as  the  great  means,  in  con- 
nexion with  the  pastoral  office,  in  building  up  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  and  saving  a  lost  world,  he  was  most  deeply  solicitous 
that  correct  views  on  the  subject  should  prevail.  lie  took 
great  pains  in  explaining  his  views  to  those  whom  he  regard- 
ed as  being  judicious  and  trusty ;  and  guarded  with  extreme 
caution  against  every  thing  wild  and  fanatical.  He  had 
abundant  reason  to  be  deeply  solicitous  on  this  subject,  as  in- 
dividuals at  the  North,  and  especially  in  western  New  York, 
16* 


186  MEMOIR    OF 

had  run  revivals  into  extravagance,  and  then,  as  he  said, 
attempted  to  plead  the  authority  of  his  name  and  example  for 
their  ultra  and  extravagant  proceedings.  I  never  saw  him  so 
deeply  excited  on  any  subject,  as  in  conversation  about  these 
abuses.  His  measures — if  it  be  proper  thus  to  characterize 
the  means  which  he  used  in  connexion  with  revivals  of  reli- 
gion, were  new  in  this  region,  and  excited  great  interest. 
The  fact,  however,  was,  that  there  was  nothing  new  about 
his  plans,  except  that  he  brought  people  together  who  were 
concerned  about  their  soul  and  had  made  up  their  minds  to 
attend  at  once  to  the  subject  of  religion,  into  a  general  inquiry 
meeting,  and  sometimes  into  smaller  meetings  of  the  same 
kind  in  private  houses,  in  the  more  distant  parts  of  a  congre- 
gation— for  the  purpose  of  personal  conversation  and  instruc- 
tion adapted  to  the  peculiar  cases  of  individuals.  At  these 
meetings,  young  converts  were  kept  with  those  who  were 
anxious.  These  plans  were  suggested  by  common  sense  and 
the  necessity  of  the  case,  and  were  approved  by  the  most 
judicious  ministers  amongst  us.  Some,  however,  were  dis- 
posed, as  had  been  done  elsewhere,  to  try  to  improve  on  his 
simple  plans,  and  as  he  knew  that  imitations  were  likely  to 
rise  up  here,  as  in  other  places,  and  plead  his  authority  for 
measures  which  he  could  not  approve,  he  was  reserved  in 
communicating  his  views,  unless  to  persons  who  he  was  con- 
vinced were  opposed  to  running  revivals  into  extravagance 
and  contempt.  This,  in  some  instances,  brought  against  him 
the  charge  of  being  reserved  and  quere — often  because  he 
would  not  sit  down,  when  his  time  was  directly  needed  for 
the  Lord's  work,  to  explain  all  his  views  and  plans  to  every 
individual  who  chose  to  visit  him — or  because  he  could  not  go 
to  preach  at  several  places,  at  the  same  timey.  to  which  he 
was  invited.  It  is  enough  to  say,  that  he  had  the  cordial  ap- 
probation of  the  most  judicious  ministers  and  intelligent  lay- 
men in  the  region,  and  that  his  visit  was  regarded  with  spe- 
cial gratitude  to  the  great  Head  of  the  church. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  187 

"  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  devil  would  be  still 
when  he  saw  so  much  done  to  make  his  strong  holds  in  this 
part  of  the  country  tremble  from,  turret  to  foundation  stone. 
Accordingly  one  of  his  agents  at  Cartersvillc,  in  the  lower 
part  of  this  county,  when  1  was  there  preaching  as  a  licen- 
tiate, imported    some  stale   slanders  from  Connecticut,  about. 

Mr.   Nettleton.     The  name  of  this  man  was  0.  G.  W , 

from  Connecticut,  and  he  attempted  to  gain  currency  for  his 
stories  by  the  aid  of  a  letter  from  R.  S.  H ,  also  of  Con- 
necticut. All  these  slanders  were  silenced  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing mass  of  testimony  from  a  number  of  the  first  men  in  New 
England. 

"  Dr.  Nettleton  paid  several  other  visits  to  Virginia  in  later 
years,  but  generally  in  such  poor  health,  that  he  attempted 
very  little  in  the  way  of  preaching  the  gospel.  To  the  last, 
he  retained  the  confidence  and  affection  of  those  who  had 
known  him  in  the  days  of  his  greater  vigor  to  labor  for 
Christ,  and  the  salvation  of  souls. 

"  With  christian  regard, 

"  Your  brother  in  the  gospel, 

Jesse  S.  Armistead." 

During  the  summer  of  1829,  he  preached  in  several  differ- 
ent places  in  New  England,  in  all  of  which,  I  believe,  he 
was  instrumental  of  the  conversion  of  some  souls.  I  know 
not  that  there  were  extensive  revivals  in  any  of  these  places 
except  in  Monson,  Mass..  where  he  labored  a  short  time 
amid  scenes  of  great  interest.  The  following  is  an  extract 
of  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ely,  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Monson,  written  June  4,  1844. 

"  Dr.  Nettleton  was  among  the  few  whose  memory  will  be 
long  cherished  by  the  churches,  as  an  eminent  instrument,  in 
the  hands  of  God,  of  reviving  his  work,  and  of  bringing  mul- 
titudes to  embrace  the  Saviour  for  righteousness  and  life.  He 
seems  to  have  been  raised  up  by  the  great  Head  of  the  church, 


183 


m  e  ::  o  i  it   o  f 


to  accomplish  his  purposes  of  mercy  in  the  revival  of  pure 
religion,  and  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  His  influence 
upon  the  ministry,  and  upon  the  churches  where  he  labored, 
was  peculiarly  happy.  He  always  left  behind  him  a  sweet 
savor  of  Christ.  Harmony  and  christian  affection,  between 
pastors  and  people,  were  the  result  of  his  labors,  even  where 
they  had  been  most  successful  in  the  conversion  of  souls. 
His  zeal  and  earnestness  in  preaching  the  gospel,  where 
Christ  was  named,  were  so  tempered  with  practical  wisdom 
and  singular  prudence,  that  he  was  received,  and  loved,  and 
remembered  as  a  messenger  from  God,  sent  to  bless  the 
people. 

"His  labors  among  us  in  the  year  1829,  are  recollected 
with  affection  and  gratitude.  The  revival  with  which  we 
were  favored  that  year,  commenced  about  the  middle  of  July. 
It  was  unusually  powerful  and  still,  and  rapid  in  its  progress. 
There  was  less  animal  excitement — convictions  of  sin  were 
more  thorough,  and  conversions  were  more  clear  and  decided, 
than  in  some  other  seasons  of  revival  which  we  have  enjoyed. 
We  had  but  little  to  do,  but  to  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation 
of  God.  Mr.  Nettleton,  if  I  mistake  not,  was  then  preach- 
ing at  Enfield,  Mass.  By  my  request,  he  came  and  spent  a 
week  with  us  about  the  first  of  September,  and  preached  fre- 
quently to  the  most  solemn  and  attentive  assemblies  I  ever 
witnessed.  He  then  left  us,  and  returned  again  in  about  ten 
days,  and  spent  another  week.  He  preached  on  one  Sabbath 
only.  On  that  day,  I  supplied  his  place  at  Enfield.  He 
preached  and  held  inquiry  meetings  in  the  evenings  of  the 
week,  and  visited  the  families  with  me  in  the  day  time.  His 
labors  were  very  acceptable,  and  eminently  useful,  and  I 
bless  God  for  his  aid.  Many  were  awakened  under  his 
preaching,  and  some  hopefully  converted;  and  those  who 
entertained  hope,  were  greatly  enlightened  and  strengthened. 
He  is  remembered  to  this  day  with  much  affection. 

11  The  chief  excellence  of  his  preaching,  seemed  to  consist 


DR.    METTLE  TON.  189 

in  great  plainness,  and  simplicity,  and  discrimination — in  much 
solemnity  and  affectionate  earnestness  of  manner — in  the  ap- 
plication of  the  truth  to  the  heart  and  conscience — in  taking 
away  the  excuses  of  sinners,  and  leaving  them  without  help 
and  hope,  except  in  the  sovereign  mercy  of  God.  In  short, 
it  wras  conformed  to  the  work  for  which  the  Spirit  was  sent 
into  the  world,  viz.,  to  reprove  or  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  This  characteristic  was  most 
striking.  His  manner  of  dealing  with  awakened  sinners,  was 
peculiar.  While  it  served  to  deepen  their  convictions,  and 
lead  them  to  Christ,  it  gained  their  confidence,  and  secured 
their  belief  of  the  truth.  He  knew,  too,  how  to  search  those 
who  expressed  hope.  And  while  he  detected  the  hypocrite 
and  encouraged  the  desponding,  he  was  regarded  by  all  with 
affection  and  reverence.  A  large  number  of  the  subjects  of 
this  revival,  were  young  people,  belonging  to  the  first  families 
in  the  place.  Of  about  one  hundred  who  expressed  hope  at 
that  time,  more  than  sixty  belonged  to  the  center  district. 
Numbers  of  them  have  removed  to  other  places,  and  others 
have  died  in  the  joyful  hope  of  glory.  Frequently  have  I 
heard  them  express  their  remembrance  of  Dr.  Nettleton's 
labors,  and  of  their  obligations  to  him  as  the  instrument  of 
leading  them  to  Christ.  Some  on  examination  for  church  fel- 
lowship, dated  their  awakening  and  conversion  to  his  labors. 
Of  the  number  admitted  to  the  church  that  year,  only  four  have 
apostatized.  They  have  generally  maintained  the  christian 
character,  and  some  of  them  are  eminently  useful  in  the  church. 
His  labors,  though  short  with  us,  were  greatly  blessed  ;  and 
I  shall  ever  remember  them  with  gratitude  to  the  great  Head 
of  the  Church,  who  disposed  him  to  come  and  help  us." 

In  the  fall  of  1829,  he  went  again  to  the  south  for  the  benefit 
of  his  health.  He  spent  some  time  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  He 
then  repaired  to  North  Carolina,  and  preached  considerably, 
during  the  months  of  February  and  March,  at  Chapel  Hill, 
New  Hope,  and   Hillsborough.     In  all  these  places,  I  have 


190 


M  E  M  O  III    O  F 


understood,  his  labors  were  crowned  with  success  ;  but  to 
what  extent  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 

The  summer  of  1830  he  spent  in  New  England,  preaching 
occasionally  in  different  places,  as  his  strength  would  permit. 

During  the  winter  of  1830-31,  he  preached  in  Newark, 
N.  J.,  and  in  the  city  of  New  York,  assisting  the  Rev.  Baxter 
Dickinson,  and  the  Rev.  Drs.  Snodgrass  and  Spring,  while 
God  was  pouring  out  his  Spirit  on  their  congregations. 

In  the  spring  of  1831,  he  took  a  voyage  to  England,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  health.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  just  before  he 
sailed,  he  says  : 

"  1  have  but  a  few  moments  to  write,  and  I  never  wrote  with 
such  fullness  of  heart.  Drs.  H.  and  G.  and  others  you  know, 
contemplate  a  voyage  to  England.  My  friends  have  arranged 
for  me  to  go  with  them,  without  any  agency  of  my  own.  But 
if  I  go,  it  is  not  to  labor,  and  entirely  at  my  own  expense. 
If  you  hear  that  I  am  on  the  great  waters,  do  rememher  me. 
I  never  loved  my  friends  so  ardently,  as  since  I  have  been 
thinking  of  this  voyage.  I  cannot  tell  you  on  paper  the 
ten  thousand  tender  recollections  that  have  crowded  on  my 
mind." 

He  remained  in  England,  including  his  visits  to  Scotland 
and  Ireland,  more  than  a  year  :  and  although  he  went  not  to 
labor,  but  to  rest,  he  was  not  idle,  nor  were  his  labors  altogether 
in  vain. 

During  this  period,  he  kept  a  very  brief  journal,  in  which 
he  noted  down  the  places  which  he  visited,  the  texts  from 
which  he  preached,  together  with  a  very  few  occasional 
remarks.  From  this  journal  it  appears  that  he  traveled  exten- 
sively on  the  Island  of  Great  Britain,  and  preached  in  many 
different  places.  He  also  attended  several  meetings  of  minis- 
ters, convened  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  from  him  some 
account  of  American  revivals. 

He  found  that  much  prejudice  had  been  excited  among 
pious   people  in  England,  by  information  which  they  had  re- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  191 

ceived  respecting  certain  modes  of  proceeding  in  revivals,  in 
some  parts  of  the  country.  While  he  was  in  Sheffield,  he  saw 
a  letter  which  was  written  by  an  English  clergyman,  who  was 
traveling  in  America,  and  who  had  attended  several  pro- 
tracted meetings.  He  makes  from  this  letter  the  following 
extract : 

"  Terrific  sermons  and  other  means  are  artfully  contrived 
to  stimulate  the  feelings  of  ignorant  people.  In  compliance 
with  the  call  given  at  the  period  of  the  highest  excitement, 
they  repair  to  the  anxious  scat  by  scores.  As  their  fears  are 
soon  aroused,  they  are  generally  as  soon  calmed  ;  and  in  a 
few  days,  many  profess  to  entertain  hope.  Many  such  con- 
verts soon  lose  all  appearance  of  religion  ;  but  they  become 
conceited,  secure,  and  gospel  proof ;  so  that  while  living  in 
the  open  and  habitual  neglect  of  their  duty,  they  talk  very 
freely  of  the  time  when  they  experienced  religion." 
After  giving  this  extract,  he  remarks  : 

"  This  man  is  said  to  be  an  excellent  man,  about  fifty  years 
old,  having  the  confidence  of  christians  and  ministers  wherever 
he  is  known  in  this  kingdom.  I  find  they  are  losing  con- 
fidence in  our  American  revivals.  And  so  the  imprudence  of 
a  few  zealous  individuals  is  doing  more  mischief  to  the  cause 
of  Christ  in  this  kingdom,  than  all  the  opposition  of  open 
enemies  could  ever  effect.  I  am  almost  exhausted  in  my 
attempts  to  vindicate  our  revivals.  I  can  only  tell  the  good 
ministers  here,  that  I  do  not,  and  never  did,  approve  of  the 
practice  mentioned  in  the  above  letter,  and  those  who  adopt 
it  must  alone  answer  for  the  consequences." 

At  Glasgow7,  in  Scotland,  he  makes  the  following  note  in 
his  journal. 

"  Breakfasted  at  Mrs.  Smith's,  in  company  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Russell,  of  Dundee,  and  many  others.  I  was  questioned 
about  American  revivals — '  anxious  seats,' — as  related  by  Mr. 
Colton  and  Mrs.  Trollope.  They  said,  they  supposed  that 
the  practice  of  calling  out  the  anxious,  was  universal  in  Amer- 


192  mi:  MO  IK    OF 

ican  revivals.  A  long  talk  ensued  about  the  propriety  of  the 
measure.  The  subject  of  anxious  seats  has  evidently  depre- 
ciated American  revivals  a  hundred  per  cent,  in  this  country. 
The  practice  of  calling  persons  to  the  anxious  seat,  they  said, 
existed  in  England,  only  among  the  Methodists  and  Ranters. 
They  seemed  greatly  surprised  when  I  informed  them,  that 
this  was  not  practiced,  nor  approved  of,  by  the  best  ministers 
in  New  England,  and  they  wished  me  to  hold  a  meeting  to 
disabuse  the  public  mind  on  that  subject." 

The  following  brief  notice  of  a  meeting  of  Episcopal  cler- 
gymen, will  be  read  with  deep  interest. 

"  Attended  a  meeting  of  clergymen  of  the  established 
church — principally  evangelical — at  the  house  of  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Wilson,  Islington.  More  than  forty  were  present.  I 
was  called  upon  to  give  some  account  of  American  revivals. 
Commencing  with  the  one  in  Yale  College,  in  1820, 1  was  led 
to  inquire  if  any  one  present  could  inform  me  of  a  young  min- 
ister from  America,  who  came  to  this  country  the  last  year, 
for  his  health,  and  who,  as  I  had  been  informed,  died  some- 
where in  the  vicinity  of  London.  I  had  often  inquired  for  the 
house  where  he  died,  but  as  yet  had  found  no  one  who  could 
give  me  information.  His  name  was  Sutherland  Douglass. 
Mr.  Wilson,  the  moderator,  whom  I  was  addressing,  lifted  up 
his  hands,  and  exclaimed,  '  I  knew  him.  I  received  a  note 
informing  me  that  a  young  minister  from  America,  a  stranger, 
dangerously  sick,  desired  to  see  me.  I  visited  him  twice,  and 
prayed  with  him.  He  died  on  the  third  day  after  I  first  saw 
him.  I  brought  his  remains  and  buried  them  in  my  church- 
yard.' My  reply  was,  he  was  one  of  the  subjects  of  that 
revival  in  Yale  College,  of  which  I  was  speaking.  (Much 
weeping.)" 

Among  his  papers,  are  numerous  letters  written  by  persons 
in  England  and  Scotland,  from  which  it  appears  that  he  had 
warm  friends  in  those  countries.  The  writers  of  many  of 
these  letters  express  great  obligations  to  him  for  the  pleasure 


DR.    NETTLETON.  193 

and  profit  which  they  had  derived  from  his  preaching  and 
conversation  ;  and  several  of  them  allude  to  cases  which  had 
come  to  their  knowledge,  of  the  awakening  and  hopeful  con- 
version of  sinners  under  his  labors.  Although  he  was  not 
permitted  to  witness  in  England,  such  scenes  as  he  had  fre- 
quently witnessed  in  this  country,  he  had  reason  to  believe, 
that  God  gave  him  some  souls  even  there. 

After  his  return  from  England,  which  was  in  August,  1832, 
he  preached  in  a  number  of  different  places  in  New  England 
and  in  the  middle  States  ;  with  what  success  I  am  unable  to 
state.  In  the  autumn  of  1833,  there  was  an  interesting  revi- 
val.under  his  preaching,  in  Enfield,  Conn. 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Francis 
L.  Robbins,  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  town. 

"  I  have  not  known  the  man,  who  in  my  deliberate  judg- 
ment, has  been  the  honored  instrument  of  heaven  in  turning 
so  many  sinners  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  saving 
souls  from  death,  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton.  As  he  was  him- 
self '  mighty  in  the  scriptures,'  and  '  fervent  in  the  spirit,'  he 
spake  and  taught  diligently  the  things  of  the  Lord,  and  was 
not  satisfied  unless  men  exhibited  scriptural  evidence  of  true 
religion.  When  he  went  into  a  place,  remembering  what  was 
said  of  his  master,  '  he  shall  not  strive  nor  cry,  neither  shall 
any  man  hear  his  voice  in  the  streets,'  he  labored  as  far  as 
practicable  without  observation,  striving  to  turn  the  eyes  of 
his  hearers  in  upon  themselves  while  they  listened  diligently 
to  the  word.  His  meetings,  therefore,  whether  on  the  Sab- 
bath, or  at  other  seasons,  were  singularly  marked  with  still- 
ness, order,  fixed  and  solemn  attention. 

"  My  people  were  sensibly  struck  with  the  correctness  of 
this  statement,  in  relation  to  his  labors  here.  For  in  this  place 
he  had  '  seals  of  his  ministry,'  in  a  goodly  number  of  hopeful 
converts  who  regarded  him  as  their  spiritual  father,  and  re- 
membered him  with  high  respect  and  gratitude.  I  refer  to 
the  revival  of  religion  here  in  1833,  when  several  of  the 
17 


194 


MEMOIR    OF 


choice,  active  and  exemplary  members  of  this  flock,  received 
deep  impressions,  and  became,  as  we  believe,  in  heart  and 
spirit,  the  people  of  the  living  God. 

"  Mr.  Nettleton  came  here  in  September  of  that  year,  at  my 
solicitation,  when  my  health  was,  and  had  been,  for  several 
months,  in  a  very  feeble  and  precarious  state  ;  and  when  some 
of  our  good  people  were  fearful  of  the  result,  not  only  to  my- 
self, but  to  the  interests  of  religion.  When  Mr.  Nettleton 
came,  it  was  like  the  coming  of  Titus,  especially  to  myself. 
Many  of  God's  professed  people  had  left  their  first  love,  and 
were  engaged  in  matters  of  '  doubtful  disputation,'  which 
tended  more  to  alienate  and  distract  their  feelings,  than  to 
quicken  them  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

"  Mr.  Nettleton  continued  with  us  nearly  three  months. 
Under  his  lucid  and  frequent  exhibitions  of  divine  truth,  and 
by  solemn  addresses  to  the  church,  together  with  instruction 
given  in  the  inquiry  meeting,  and  by  direct  personal  conver- 
sation, deep  impressions  were  made  on  the  minds  of  a  num- 
ber, which  resulted  in  a  disposition  to  renounce  themselves, 
and  humbly  accept  the  salvation  of  the  gospel.  As  he  labored 
to  instruct  the  people  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
establish  them  in  the  faith  and  order  of  the  gospei,  he  very 
generally  secured  their  esteem  and  confidence,  and  left  a 
salutary  influence  behind  him. 

Not  long  after  he  left  us,  nearly  twenty,  mostly  youth,  who 
ascribed  their  conversion  to  the  abounding  grace  of  God, 
through  his  instrumentality,  came  forward,  and  made  a  public 
profession  of  religion.  Several  others,  who  entertained  a 
hope  at  that  time,  clouded  with  many  fears,  have  been  revived 
and  quickened,  and  prepared  to  profess  Christ  since  that  time  ; 
while  others  who  were  brought  to  serious  consideration,  under 
the  religious  exercises  conducted  by  Mr.  Nettleton,  never,  I 
believe,  lost  their  impressions,  until  as  objects  of  God's  special 
remembrance,  they  were  hopefully  gathered  in,  in  a  subsequent 
revival.     All  of  those  who  were  brought  hopefully  from  dark- 


DR.    NETTLElON.  195 

ness  to  light  as  the  fruits  of  that  revival,  so  far  as  1  have 
knowledge,  (for  a  few  have  removed  to  other  places,)  have 
walked  worthy  of  their  vocation,  bearing  the  fruits  of  right- 
eousness unto  the  praise  and  glory  of  God." 

Many  other  places  might  be  mentioned  in  which  he  preach- 
ed occasionally,  and  in  which  there  were  some  fruits  of  his 
labors,  that  will,  1  trust,  abide,  when  all  earthly  scenes  shall 
have  passed  away.  But  my  object  has  been  to  mention  only 
those  places  in  which  his  labors  are  known  to  have  been 
attended  with  very  considerable  success. 

In  1833,  the  Pastoral  Union  of  Connecticut  was  formed, 
and  the  Theological  Institute  was  established.  These  meas- 
ures did  not  originate  with  him,  as  some  have  supposed  ;  but 
they  were  measures  which  he  cordially  approved,  and  in 
which  he  felt  a  deep  and  lively  interest. 

When  the  Seminary  was  organized,  he  was  appointed  Pro- 
fessor of  Pastoral  Duty.  He  was  at  the  time  absent  at  the 
south.  In  reply  to  a  letter  informing  him  of  his  appointment, 
he  says — 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  say.  I  need  not  tell  you  how 
entirely  I  am  interested  in  the  whole  concern.  If  it  can  be  of 
any  service  to  the  Seminary  for  me  to  sustain  some  official 
relation  to  it,  I  should  be  sorry  to  decline.  But  it  has  from 
the  beginning  seemed  to  me,  that  on  many  accounts,  I  could 
plead  its  cause  with  more  freedom  and  effect,  without  sustain- 
ing that  relation  to  it.  My  reasons  I  cannot  fully  state  on 
paper.  At  any  rate,  I  must  see  you,  and  the  Trustees,  before 
I  can  give  an  affirmative  answer.  I  have,  too,  some  doubts 
whether  my  habits  and  the  state  of  my  health,  will  permit  me 
to  sit  down  to  close  study,  and  to  all  the  requisite  preparation 
for  that  department.  I  have  been  wishing  for  some  time  past, 
to  shun  public  observation,  and  to  retire  more  into  solitude." 
He  did  not  accept.  But  although  he  chose  to  sustain  no  offi- 
cial relation  to  the  Seminary,  he  took  up  his  abode  at  East 
Windsor,  and  consented  to  deliver  some  familiar  lectures  to 


190  ME  MO  lit    OF 

the  students.  His  instruction  was  highly  prized  by  the  classes 
who  enjoyed  it. 

During  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life,  although  East  Windsor 
was  his  home,  he  spent  several  winters  at  the  south,  and 
preached  in  several  different  places  in  New  England,  not 
without  some  success.  But  such  was  the  state  of  his  health 
as  to  render  him  unable  to  endure  much  excitement  or  fatigue. 
In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Parmele,  dated  Sept.  21,  1839,  he  says, 
"  Your  note  came  to  hand  this  morning.  Accept  my  best 
thanks  for  your  kind  invitation.  It  would,  indeed,  be  very 
pleasant  to  spend  a  little  season  among  my  old  friends  in  the 
still  and  retired  town  of  Bolton,  and  once  more  talk  over 
scenes  that  are  past — '  pleasant  and  mournful  to  the  soul.' 
And  possibly,  if  life  be  spared,  that  time  may  come.  But  I 
have  journeyed  so  long  and  so  far  in  this  wilderness  world, 
and  have  passed  through  so  many  scenes  of  alternate  storm 
and  sun-shine,  that  I  am  worn  out  with  languor  and  fatigue, 
and  have  long  since  concluded  to  retire,  and  journey  as  little 
as  possible,  except  so  far  as  duty  and  the  state  of  my  health 
seem  to  demand." 

In  the  year  1839,  he  received  from  two  literary  institutions,* 
the  degree  of  D.  D.  This  was  an  honor  which  he  did  not 
covet,  as  appears  from  the  fact  that  it  would  have  been  confer- 
red several  years  before,  by  one  of  the  New  England  Colleges, 
had  not  his  own  remonstrances  prevented.  When  he  first 
received  the  intelligence,  he  was  quite  disturbed  ;  and  he 
asked  one  of  his  brethren  what  he  should  do.  All  the  advice 
which  he  received  from  that  brother  was  contained  in  the  fol- 
lowing anecdote.  "  A  man  once  said  to  an  aged  clergyman, 
my  neighbors  are  slandering  me,  and  what  shall  I  do  ?  Do 
your  duty,  said  the  clergyman,  and  think  nothing  about  it.  If 
they  are  disposed  to  throw  mud,  let  them  throw  mud  ;  but  do 

*  Hampden  Sydney  College,  in  Virginia,  and  Jefferson  College,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  197 

not  attempt  to  wipe  it  off,  lest  you  should  wipe  it  all  over 
you." 

On  reflection  he  seems  to  have  come  to  the  conclusion  to 
which  his  friend,  the  late  Dr.  Porter,  of  Andover  came,  under 
similar  circumstances,  viz  :  "  What  shall  a  sober  man  do  ?  If 
he  refuses  this  title  on  general  principles,  because  it  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  spirit  of  the  gOspel,  he  charges  a  long  list  of 
such  worthies  as  Watts,  &c.  with  wearing  a  public  mark  of 
pride  or  folly.  If  he  refuses  it  on  principles  that  respect  him- 
self only,  he  is  liable  to  be  charged  with  the  ostentation  of 
humility,  and  really  needs  much  prayer  and  heart-searching, 
to  be  certain  that  cursed  pride  is  not  at  the  bottom.  Too  much 
noise  to  get  rid  of  this  contemptible  honor,  '  resembles  ocean 
into  tempest  wrought,  to  waft  a  feather,  or  to  drown  a  fly.'  A 
wise  man  would  not  kill  a  gnat,  by  a  blow  that  might  fracture 
his  leg." 

17* 


CHAPTER   X. 


His  method  of  laboring  in  revivals  of  religion. 

The  question  has  often  been  asked,  what  was  the  secret  of 
Dr.  Nettleton's  success  1  In  answering  this  question,  we  must 
not  overlook  the  fact,  that  God  acts  as  a  sovereign,  and  pours 
out  his  Spirit,  when  and  where,  and  in  what  measure  he 
pleases.  No  man  ever  more  firmly  believed  this  fact,  or  acted 
more  habitually  under  the  influence  of  this  belief,  than  Dr. 
Nettleton.  He  was  perfectly  aware  that  all  human  means 
are  utterly  powerless,  unless  made  effectual  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  He  did  not  rely  on  his  own  strength.  He 
knew  that  he  was  an  earthen  vessel,  and  that  when  any  suc- 
cess attended  his  labors,  the  excellency  of  the  power  was  of 
God  and  not  of  him.  It  was  his  firm  belief  of  this  truth,  pow- 
erfully operating  on  his  mind,  and  leading  him  to  place  no 
dependence  on  his  own  efforts,  but  to  look  to  God  in  humble, 
earnest,  persevering,  and  confiding  prayer  ;  which  constituted 
one  principal  reason  of  his  signal  success.  If  the  question 
then  be  asked,  why  Dr.  Nettleton  was  so  much  more  suc- 
cessful in  winning  souls  to  Christ,  than  most  other  ministers, 
the  great  comprehensive  answer  is,  "  Even  so,  Father,  for  so 
it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  This  is  the  only  answer  which 
he  was  disposed  to  give.  He  attributed  none  of  the  glory  to 
himself.  Nor  did  any  of  it  belong  to  him.  He  did  not  pos- 
sess any  power  over  the  human  heart  which  other  men  do  not, 
possess  — he  was  only  an  instrument  by  which  God  accom- 
plished his  purposes.     Nor  was  he  selected  as  the  instrument 


DR.    NETTLETON,  1 00 

of  such  good  to  mankind,  because  he  was  more  worthy  than 
others,  or  because  he  had  done  any  thing  to  entitle  him  to  this 
honorable  distinction ;  for  although  he  may  have  possessed 
qualifications  for  his  work,  which  others  did  not  possess  ;  yet 
for  all  these  qualifications,  whether  intellectual  or  moral,  he 
was  indebted  to  the  Grace  of  God  ;  and  to  that  grace  let  the 
glory  be  ascribed. 

But  God  in  accomplishing  his  purposes,  not  only  makes  use 
of  means,  but  adapts  means  to  ends.  He  raises  up  instru- 
ments, and  fits  them  for  the  work  which  they  are  destined  to 
perform.  Although  no  labor  of  the  husbandman  will  insure  to 
him  a  harvest,  yet  he  has  no  reason  to  expect  a  harvest  with- 
out labor  :  nor  has  he  a  right  to  conclude  that  it  is  a  matter  of 
indifference  what  kind  of  labor  he  employs.  He  knows  it  to 
be  important  to  till  his  ground,  and  to  sow  in  it  good  seed. 
So  in  the  moral  world,  means  must  be  adapted  to  the  end  to  be 
accomplished.  Although  Paul  plant,  and  A  polios  water,  God 
must  give  the  increase  ;  yet  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  it  is 
of  no  consequence  what  seed  is  planted,  or  how  it  is  planted, 
and  watered.  Although  God  might  bring  to  pass  different 
results,  when  the  same  means  are  used,  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner ;  yet  ordinarily  when  the  results  are  different,  there  is 
some  difference  in  the  means  or  in  the  manner  of  employing 
them.  Whitefield  was  not  only  a  more  successful  preacher 
than  others  who  were  his  cotemporeries ;  he  was  also  a  dif- 
ferent preacher — not  that  he  preached  different  doctrines  ;  but 
he  preached  them  in  a  different  manner. 

That  Dr.  Nettleton  possessed  peculiar  skill  in  presenting 
truth  to  the  minds  of  men,  and  laboring  in  revivals  of  religion, 
will  be  admitted  by  most  who  are  at  all  acquainted  with  his 
history.  During  that  protracted  period  of  conviction,  through 
which  he  passed  before  his  reconciliation  to  God,  he  obtained 
a  knowledge  of  the  human  heart  which  few  possess.  He 
could  trace  the  secret  windings  of  human  depravity.  He  un- 
derstood the  refuges  of  lies  to  which  sinners  are  prone  to 


200  MEMOIR    OF 

resort,  and  he  knew  how  to  meet  and  to  answer  the  various 
excuses  by  which  they  attempted  to  shield  themselves  from 
blame.  He  had  an  experimental  acquaintance  with  the  great 
truths  of  the  gospel,  which  enabled  him  not  only  to  present 
them  with  clearness  to  the  minds  of  others,  but  to  press  them 
home  upon  their  consciences  as  matters  of  everlasting  moment. 
His  deep  religious  experience  enabled  him  to  ascertain  the 
precise  state  of  mind  of  different  individuals,  and  to  adapt  his 
instructions  to  their  particular  circumstances.  When  an 
impression  was  made  upon  the  mind,  he  was  careful  to  follow 
it  up  ;  well  knowing  the  various  ways  in  which  religious 
impressions  are  liable  to  be  effaced,  and  what  is  best  adapted 
to  deepen  and  perpetuate  them. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Pinneo,  who  was  his  theological  instructor, 
and  who  was  somewhat  intimately  acquainted  with  him  after 
he  became  a  preacher,  says  : 

"  If  attending  religious  meetings  together  for  a  considerable 
season,  and  at  different  times  in  after  years,  when  he  was  in 
full  strength,  may  be  considered  as  affording  me  the  opportu- 
nity to  judge,  I  would  say,  that  brother  Nettleton  appeared  to 
me  to  be  uncommonly  discerning  and  skillful  in  handling  the 
doctrines  of  grace,  and  to  have  an  uncommon  insight  into  the 
human  character  ;  and  to  be  able  better  than  most,  to  place  the 
naked  truth  upon  the  conscience,  and  to  demolish  with  a  few 
heavy  strokes,  all  the  vain  excuses  and  refuges  of  lies  to  which 
sinners  resort  to  screen  themselves  from  the  force  of  truth. 
And  then  he  would  follow  up  the  impression,  with  great 
industry,  skill  and  perseverance.  Thus  the  Holy  Spirit  fitted 
him  for  the  work,  and  employed  him  as  an  instrument  of  the 
conversion  of  sinners.  But  God  acts  as  a  sovereign  ;  for 
neither  he,  nor  other  successful  preachers,  have  been  uni- 
formly blest  in  their  labors." 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  written  to  one  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  in  1823,  shows  his  own  views  of  the 
importance  of  following  up  an  impression  when  made,  and  of 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  201 

making  special  efforts  when  there  is  evidence  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  operating  upon  the  minds  of  the  people. 

"It  becomes  every  friend  of  Zion  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord  through  all  the  towns  in  this  region.  The  fields  are 
whitening  all  around  us  ;  and  though  God  can  create  and 
gather  the  harvest  without  human  instrumentality,  yet  we  do 
not  expect  it.  A  revival  begun,  is  likely  to  subside,  without 
the  constant  pressure  of  gospel  motives  on  the  consciences  of 
the  awakened.  It  is  obvious  from  experience,  that  God  gen- 
erally blesses,  far  more  extensively,  the  means  for  extending 
his  work,  than  he  does  for  commencing  it  in  the  midst  of  sur- 
rounding darkness.  As  the  conversion  of  one  sinner  is  often 
the  means  of  awakening  every  member  of  the  family,  and  the 
impulse  is  again  felt  through  every  kindred  branch,  and  through 
the  village  and  town  ;  so  one  town  may  be  the  means  of  a 
revival  in  another,  and  that  in  another.  Though  some  minis- 
ters feel  the  truth  of  this  remark,  yet  few  if  any  realize  its  full 
force.  There  is  as  really  a  season  of  harvest  in  the  moral  as 
in  the  natural  world.  Now  every  hand  that  can  hold  a  sickle, 
needs  all  its  strength.  The  harvest  fully  ripe,  neglected  a 
few  days,  is  forever  lost.  Other  fields  may  whiten,  and  the 
same  field  a  second  time,  but  the  former  neglected  harvest  is 
lost  forever.  There  is  a  crisis  in  the  feelings  of  a  people, 
which,  if  not  improved,  the  souls  of  that  generation  will  not 
be  gathered.  In  the  season  of  a  revival,  more  may  be  done — 
more  is  often  done  to  secure  the  salvation  of  souls,  in  a  few 
days,  or  weeks,  than  in  years  spent  in  preaching  at  other  times. 
One  sermon,  in  a  revival,  often  does  more  execution,  than  a 
hundred  equally  good,  out  of  it.  And  I  verily  believe,  that 
more  good  may  be  lost  for  the  want  of  that  one,  than  can  be 
done  with  it,  and  with  a  thousand  like  it,  when  the  crisis  is 

past.     '  Say  not  ye,  there  are"  yet  four  months,  and  then' 

it  is  now,  or  never.     And  '  he  that  reapeth  receiveth  wages.'  " 

The  success  of  Dr.  Nettleton  was  not  in  every  respect  like 
thatof  Whitefield.  Whitefield's  power  was  chiefly  in  the  pulpit . 


202 


M  E  M  O  I II    OF 


His  eloquence  was  overpowering,  and  great  multitudes  were 
sometimes  awakened  by  a  single  sermon.  Dr.  Nettleton  did 
not  expect  such  effects  from  a  single  effort  in  the  pulpit.  His 
success  was  the  combined  effect  of  preaching  in  the  church, 
and  in  the  lecture  room,  and  of  private  conversation.  His 
preaching  was  alwa}^s  solemn  and  impressive,  and  sometimes 
in  a  high  degree  eloquent.  It  was  more  instructive,  and  ad- 
dressed more  to  the  conscience,  and  less  to  the  passions  than 
that  of  Whitefield.  As  a  natural  consequence,  the  revivals 
which  occurred  under  his  preaching  were  more  pure  —  at- 
tended with  less  fanaticism,  and  a  smaller  proportion  of  tem- 
porary converts. 

When  he  commenced  his  labors  in  any  place,  one  of  the 
first  things  which  he  attempted  was,  to  make  the  impression 
on  the  minds  of  the  people,  that  their  help  must  come  from 
above,  and  that  they  must  place  no  dependence  on  an  arm  of 
flesh.  When  he  found  that  they  were  placing  undue  depend- 
ence on  him,  he  often  suddenly  disappeared,  at  least  for  a 
season.  Until  this  state  of  feeling  was  destroyed  he  had  no 
expectation  of  accomplishing  any  good. 

It  was  a  prime  object  with  him,  when  he  went  into  a  place 
where  there  was  no  special  seriousness,  to  awaken  a  proper 
state  of  feeling  among  the  people  of  God.  Knowing  that 
when  God  pours  out  his  Spirit,  he  usually  first  revives  his 
work  in  the  hearts  of  his  own  people,  and  that  he  awakens 
and  converts  sinners  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  he  endeavored 
to  impress  upon  their  minds  a  sense  of  their  responsibility.* 
Among  his  first  sermons,  he  would  sometimes  preach  from 
Rom.  xiii.  11.  "  And  that  knowing  the  time,  that  now  it  is 
high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep."     And  sometimes  from  Ps. 

*  While  the  Rev.  Fosdie  Harrison  was  ^preaching  in  Roxbury,  in  1813,  just 
previous  to  his  settlement  there,  Dr.  Nettleton  made  him  a  visit.  "  There  was,  at 
the  time,"  says  Mr.  Harrison,  "  more  than  usual  attention  to  the  means  of  grace. 
One  evening  he  attended  a  meeting  with  me  in  a  remote  part  of  the  town,  where 
there  were  tokens  of  the  special  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  yet,  to  his 
mind,  indications  that  something  was  wanting.    After  many  inquiries,  he  asked, 


DR.     NETTLETON.  203 

li.  12,  13.  "Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation  and 
uphold  me  with  thy  free  spirit.  Then  will  I  teach  transgres- 
sors thy  ways,  and  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee."  But 
while  he  called  on  christians  with  great  plainness  and  fidelity 
to  awake  out  of  sleep,  he  never  addressed  them  in  a  harsh 
and  denunciatory  manner.  With  kindness  and  affection  he 
would  remind  them  of  their  obligations  and  their  sins,  and 
present  to  them  such  considerations  as  were  suited  to  humble 
them,  and  to  excite  them  to  a  faithful  discharge  of  their  duty. 
He  loved  to  see  christians  deeply  sensible  of  their  sinfulness, 
and  at  the  same  time  deeply  affected  with  the  condition  of 
sinners  who  were  perishing  around  them.  When  things 
began  to  assume  a  favorable  appearance,  he  did  not  like  to  see 
professors  of  religion  elated,  and  disposed  to  talk  about  it  with 
an  air  of  exultation.  He  knew  that  flattering  appearances  often 
suddenly  vanish,  and  he  had  learned  that  it  is  apt  to  be  so, 
when  christians  begin  to  rejoice  prematurely.  He  frowned 
upon  every  thing  like  ostentation,  and  discouraged  the  dispo- 
sition which  too  often  prevails,  to  proclaim  a  revival  upon  the 
first  indication  of  unusual  seriousness.  His  views  on  the 
subject  are  expressed,  as  he  has  been  heard  to  say,  in  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brace,  in  his  account  of  the 
revival  in  Newington. 

"  It  is  no  favorable  thing  to  see  professors,  at  such  a  time, 
full  of  glee,  busy  in  proclaiming  a  revival.  A  true  work  of 
grace  needs  no  proclamation.  Is  there  not  reason  to  fear  that 
revivals  are  often  checked  in  this  way  ?  If,  when  a  little 
seriousness  appears,  in  a  few  individuals  in  a  place,  it  is  im- 
mediately noised  abroad,  and  perhaps  printed,  that  a  great 
work  is  going  on,  is  it  not  overrating  the  attention,  and  tempt- 
ing christians  to  cease  their  mourning,  to  lift  up  their  eyes  to 

'  have  you  established  a  prayer-meeting  and  urged  the  church  to  pray  for  a 
revival  ?'  I  replied,  no,  not  yet.  '  O,'  said  he,  '  that  is  the  difficulty.  If  I  had 
known  that,  I  would  not  have  gone  to  the  meeting.  It  is  of  no  use  to  preach,  if 
the  church  does  not  pray.'  From  that  hint  I  immediately  established  a  weekly 
prayer-meeting,  after  which,  we  soon  had  cases  of  hopeful  conversion." 


204  MEMOIR    OF 

see  what  is  not  to  be  seen,  to  say  —  ah,  we  have  found  it, 
henceforth  we  may  rejoice,  and  be  satisfied.  I  have  heard 
many  such  introductions  and  confident  predictions,  when  the 
result  proved  to  be  feeble.  Such  a  course,  not  only  exposes 
religion  to  reproach  among  the  enemies  of  revivals,  but  pre- 
vents the  very  thing  which  it  was  designed  to  promote." 

His  views  on  this  subject  are  also  expressed  by  himself  in 
a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Aikin,  of  Utica,  dated  Albany,  January 
13,  1827.  Speaking  of  the  interesting  state  of  religious  feel- 
ing which  existed  in  Albany,  he  says  : 

"  But  I  have  great  fears  that  the  disposition  of  some  zealous 
christians  round  about  us,  to  proclaim  it  abroad,  and  to  run 
before  their  own  hearts,  and  the  real  state  of  things,  will  run 
it  out  into  noise.  I  have  already  felt  the  evil.  I  find  that 
many  are  disposed  to  make  ten  times  as  much  of  the  same 
state  of  things,  as  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  doing,  though 
they  know  but  a  small  part  of  what  I  have  seen  in  this  place. 
Various  reports  have  gone  out  concerning  a  revival  in  Albany, 
which  have  done  us  much  mischief.  If  they  would  let  us 
alone  I  should  expect  a  great  work  in  this  city.  But  amid  so 
much  noise  and  bluster  of  christians,  it  promises  fair  to  end  in 
smoke.  But  after  all,  the  good  people  here  are  astonished  at 
our  stillness.  My  opinion  is,  that  had  they  been  ten  times  as 
still,  they  would  have  witnessed  ten  times  as  much.  Seven 
years  ago  about  two  thousand  souls  were  hopefully  born  into 
the  kingdom  in  this  vicinity,  in  our  own  denomination  with 
comparative  stillness.  But  the  times  have  altered.  The 
kingdom  of  God  now  cometh  with  great  observation." 

Dr.  Nettleton  never  held  out  the  idea  to  churches  that  they 
could  "  get  up  a  revival,"  or  that  they  could  have  a  revival  at 
any  time.  It  is  true  that  he  set  before  them  the  encourage- 
ment which  God  has  given  to  humble  and  fervent  prayer. 
But  he  always  maintained  that  a  revival  of  true  religion 
depends  on  the  sovereign  interposition  of  God.  Nor  did  he 
believe  in  the  modern  notion  of  the  prayer  of  faith,  viz  :  that 


D  R  .     N  E  T  T  L  £  T  u  X  .  205 

God  will  always  grant  the  particular  things  for  which  we  pray, 
if  we  only  believe  that  he  will  do  it. 

His  mode  of  preaching,  both  to  saints  and  to  sinners,  was 
solemn,  affectionate,  and  remarkably  plain.  His  style  was 
simple,  perspicuous  and  energetic.  His  illustrations  were 
familiar  and  striking :  such  as  rendered  his  discourses  intelli- 
gible to  persons  of  the  weakest  capacity,  and  at  the  same 
time  interesting  to  persons  of  the  most  cultivated  intellect.  He 
always  commanded  the  attention  of  his  audience.  Every  eye 
was  fixed,  and  a  solemn  stillness  pervaded  the  assembly. 
There  was  an  earnestness  in  his  manner,  which  carried  con- 
viction to  the  minds  of  his  hearers,  that  he  believed  what  he 
spoke,  and  that  he  believed  it  to  be  truth  of  everlasting  moment. 
There  was  also  a  directness  in  his  preaching,  which  made  the 
hearers  feel  that  they  were  the  persons  addressed  ;  and  such 
was  his  knowledge  of  the  human  heart,  and  of  the  feelings 
which  divine  truth  excites  when  presented  to  the  minds  of 
unsanctified  men,  that  he  was  able  to  anticipate  objections, 
and  to  follow  the  sinner  through  his  various  refuges  of  lies, 
and  strip  him  of  all  his  excuses.  So  great  was  his  skill  in 
this  respect,  that  it  often  seemed  to  individuals  while  listening 
to  his  preaching,  that  he  must  know  their  thoughts.  And  in 
a  certain  sense  it  was  true.  By  knowing  his  own  heart  he 
knew  the  hearts  of  others  :  because  "  as  in  water  face  answer- 
eth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of  man  to  man."  He  understood  from 
his  own  experience,  what  thoughts  and  feelings  would  be 
excited  in  the  minds  of  sinners  by  the  contemplation  of  par- 
ticular doctrines.  When,  therefore,  he  exhibited  these  doc- 
trines in  his  preaching,  and  perceived  that  the  attention  of  his 
hearers  was  fixed  upon  them,  he  did  know,  to  some  extent, 
what  were  their  thoughts  and  feelings ;  and  this  enabled  him 
to  adapt  his  instructions  to  their  circumstances,  and  to  give  to 
each  one  a  portion  in  due  season. 

This   was  particularly  true  of  his  preaching  in  the  lecture 

room.     Here  he  was  at  home,  and  enjoyed  the  greatest  free- 
18 


206  M  EMOIB    0  F 

dom.  Here  he  seemed  to  come  in  direct  contact  with  the 
minds  of  his  hearers.  He  watched  every  countenance,  and 
in  this  way  he  was  assisted  in  judging  of  the  effect  of  his 
preaching  on  the  minds  of  different  individuals.  In  establish- 
ing his  positions,  his  reasoning  was  so  clear  and  forcible,  as 
to  be  irresistible  ;  and  conviction  came  upon  the  mind  like  a 
flash  of  lightning.  And  the  truth  was  urged  home  upon  the 
conscience,  as  a  matter  of  personal  and  infinite  interest.  Here 
it  was  that  those  scenes  of  deep  distress,  occasioned  by  a 
vivid  sense  of  guilt  and  the  apprehension  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  so  frequently  occurred.  It  often  happened  in  the  lec- 
ture room,  that  sinners  were  so  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of 
their  lost  condition,  that  it  became  necessary  to  remove  them 
to  a  neighboring  house. 

It  was  never  the  object  of  Dr.  Nettleton  to  produce  mere 
excitement,  by  working  upon  the  imagination  and  sympathy 
of  his  hearers.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Rice,  speaking  of  his  labors 
in  Virginia,  in  1828,  says,  "Mr.  Nettleton  is  a  remarkable 
man,  and  chiefly,  I  think,  remarkable  for  his  power  of  pro- 
ducing a  great  excitement  without  much  appearance  of  feeling. 
The  people  do  not  either  weep  or  talk  away  their  impressions. 
The  preacher  chiefly  addresses  Bible  truth  to  their  con- 
sciences." This  was  a  striking  characteristic  of  his  preach- 
ing. He  commended  himself  to  every  man's  conscience  in 
the  sight  of  God.  His  object  was  to  lead  his  hearers  to  see 
their  real  character  and  condition.  All  excitement  which 
was  not  the  result  of  clear  apprehensions  of  divine  truth,  he 
considered  not  merely  useless,  but  positively  injurious.  The 
cases  of  deep  distress  which  occurred  under  his  preaching, 
were  not.  the  effect  of  mere  symyathy,  but  of  clear  conviction 
of  sin. 

One  thing  which  contributed  greatly  to  Dr.  Nettleton's  suc- 
cess, was  his  faithful  private  conversation.  Many  were  by 
this  means  awakened  from  their  stupidity,  and  excited  to 
attend  to  the  concerns  of  their  souls.     He  had  a  talent  which 


DR.    NETTLETON.  207 

few  possess,  of  introducing  religious  conversation  with  indi- 
viduals of  every  description.  He  was  rarely  abrupt,  never 
harsh,  but  always  kind  and  affectionate.  His  first  object  was 
to  secure  the  confidence  of  the  individual  with  whom  he  was 
conversing,  and  to  lead  him  on  gradually  to  a  consideration  of 
the  importance  of  religion  in  general,  and  then  to  a  more  par- 
ticular consideration  of  his  own  spiritual  state.  When  he 
perceived  that  an  impression  had  been  made,  he  would  fol- 
low it  up  and  watch  its  progress  with  intense  assiduity.  He 
could  easily  introduce  religious  conversation  with  persons  of 
every  grade  in  society  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  To  a 
lawyer  he  once  said,  "  I  have  often  thought  that  persons  in 
your  situation — persons  of  liberal  education  and  high  stand- 
ing in  society,  are  in  peculiar  danger  of  losing  their  souls  ; 
and  for  this  among  other  reasons,  that  every  body  is  afraid 
to  converse  with  them."  This  remark  opened  the  way  for  a 
perfectly  free  conversation,  in  which  he  was  as  faithful  as  he 
would  have  been  to  any  individual  in  the  humblest  walks  of 
life. 

In  conversing  with  awakened  sinners,  he  exhibited  great 
wisdom.  There  was  no  part  of  the  ministerial  work  in  which 
he  excelled  more  than  in  this.  For  this,  he  was  pre- 
eminently fitted,  as  has  been  already  intimated,  by  his  own 
religious  experience.  He  was  generally  able,  with  but  little 
difficulty,  to  ascertain  the  exact  state  of  the  sinner's  mind, 
and  he  knew  what  instruction  was  suited  to  his  case. 

It  was  not  his  custom  to  converse  much  with  awakened  sin- 
ners. He  has  often  remarked,  that  a  great  deal  of  conversa- 
tion has  a  tendency  to  confuse  the  mind,  and  to  dissipate, 
rather  than  to  deepen,  religious  impressions.  He  would  con- 
verse with  them  enough  to  keep  the  subject  before  their  minds, 
and  to  correct  any  false  notions  which  they  might  have  im- 
bibed. More  than  this,  he  considered  not  only  unnecessary, 
but  prejudicial.  He  did  not  like  to  have  awakened  sinners 
spend  most  of  their  time  in  running  from   one   individual  to 


208  MEMOIR     OF 

another,  to  seek  sympathy  and  instruction,  lest,  to  use  the 
language  of  Dr.  Rice,  they  should  "  weep  and  talk  away 
their  impressions."  He  was  desirous  that  they  should  be 
much  alone,  engaged  in  reading  the  scriptures,  serious  medi- 
tation and  prayer.  Mr.  Brace,  in  his  account  of  the  revival 
in  Newington,  after  describing  the  solemnity  which  pervaded 
the  assembly  at  the  close  of  one  of  Dr.  Nettleton's  meetings, 
says,  "  He  requested  them  to  retire  without  making  a  noise. 
■  I  love  to  talk  to  you,  you  are  so  still.  It  looks  as  though  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  here.  Go  away  as  still  as  possible.  Do 
not  talk  by  the  way,  lest  you  forget  your  own  hearts.  Do  not 
ask  how  you  like  the  preacher  ;  but  retire  to  your  closets — 
bow  before  God  and  give  yourselves  to  him  this  night.'  "  He 
frequently  gave  such  advice. 

In  his  conversation  with  awakened  sinners,  he  was  careful 
never  to  flatter  them,  or  to  say  any  thing  suited  to  allay  their 
fears.  He  never  expressed  to  them,  the  opinion  that  their 
condition  was  hopeful.  On  the  contrary,  he  gave  them  to 
understand,  that  while  they  remained  impenitent,  there  was 
an  awful  uncertainty  whether  they  would  be  saved.  He 
urged  the  duty  of  immediate  repentance,  and  showed  them 
that  they  could  do  nothing  short  of  repentance,  which  would 
in  the  least  degree,  improve  their  condition.  He  endeavored 
to  destroy  all  their  dependence  on  their  own  works — to  show 
them  that  all  their  religious  services  were  selfish  and  sinful, 
and  that  God  has  made  no  promise  of  pardon  to  any  thing 
short  of  faith  and  repentance. 

Sometimes,  instead  of  entering  into  particular  conversation 
with  individuals  who  were  under  concern  of  mind,  he  would 
drop  a  single  remark  suited  to  awaken  in  their  minds,  profita- 
ble trains  of  thought — such  as  the  following  : 

"  If  your  heart  is  so  hard  that  you  cannot  repent  now, 
what  will  you  do,  when  it  becomes  a  great  deal  harder  ?" 

"  What  reason  can  you  assign  why  you  should  not  love 
God  ?" 


DR.    NETTLETOX.  209 

11  Oh,  what  a  hard  heart  you  have." 

"  What  reason  have  you  to  think  that  you  ever  shall  re- 
pent?" 

It  was  not  uncommon  for  awakened  sinners  to  feel  that 
he  could  give  them  relief;  but  when  he  found  that  they  were 
relying  on  him  to  save  them,  he  would  treat  them  with  neg- 
lect. This  often  called  into  exercise,  the  enmity  of  their 
hearts,  and  thus  served  to  deepen  their  conviction,  by  show- 
ing them  their  utterly  lost  condition. 

His  feelings  were  often  severely  tried,  by  the  injudicious 
directions  which  some  professors  of  religion,  were  in  the 
habit  of  giving  to  awakened  sinners.  He  has  been  heard  to 
say,  that  he  apprehended  more  evil  from  this  source,  than 
from  all  the  opposition  of  the  avowed  enemies  of  religion. 
He  usually  occupied  one  meeting  in  considering  these  injudi- 
cious directions.  A  sketch  of  the  address  delivered  on  these 
occasions,  is  found  among  his  papers,  from  which  I  make  the 
following  extract : 

1.  "  Wait  at  the  Pool.  You  must  not  be  discouraged,  for 
we  read  of  one  who  waited  thirty  and  eight  years. 

"This  text  is  used  by  way  of  accommodation.  The  im- 
potent man  was  waiting  at  the  pool,  not  for  the  pardon  of  his 
sins,  but  to  be  healed  of  a  bodily  disease.  We  may  accom- 
modate passages  of  scripture,  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating 
acknowledged  truth  ;  but  we  must  not  trace  analogies  too  far. 
In  many  respects  there  is  a  striking  analogy  between  a  de- 
praved heart,  and  a  diseased  body ;  but  there  is  one  import- 
ant point  in  which  the  analogy  does  not  hold — the  one  is 
criminal ;  the  other  is  merely  calamitous. 

"  This  use  of  the  passage  contradicts  many  plain  declara- 
tions of  the  Bible — particularly  all  those  which  enjoin  the 
duty  of  immediate  repentance.  Suppose  a  person  should 
address  sinners  in  this  manner — Behold  now  is  the  accepted 
time  ; — behold  now  is  the  day  of  salvation — But  wait  at  the 
18* 


2 1 0  M  E  M  O  1 II    ou 

pool.  Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve — But  watt  at 
the  pool. 

"  God  now  commandeth  all  men  every  where,  to  repent. 
But  wait  at  the  pool. 

"  The  effect  of  this  direction  is,  to  make  the  impression 
on  the  sinner's  mind,  that  he  is  not  under  obligation  to  obey 
God  immediately  ; — and  of  course,  it  counteracts  the  influence 
of  every  command  of  God  on  the  sinner's  conscience. 

"  The  sinner  is  told  that  he  must  not  be  discouraged,  for 
the  impotent  man  waited  thirty-eight  years.  This  however  is 
not  said.  It  is  said  that  he  had  an  infirmity  thirty-eight 
years  ;  but  it  is  not  said  that  he  had  waited  a  day.  Be  this, 
however,  as  it  may,  he  was  not  healed  by  the  pool,  after  all ; 
nor  is  there  any  evidence  that  he  would  have  been,  if  he  had 
waited  all  his  life. 

2.  "  Be  patient  and  wait  GooVs  time. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  direction,  when  given  to  an 
awakened  sinner  ? 

"  Be  patient !  Is  the  sinner  to  understand  that  he  is  too 
anxious  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul,  and  that  he  ought  to 
wait  patiently  in  his  sins  till  God  shall  see  fit  to  change  his 
heart  ?  To  tell  the  anxious  sinner  to  be  patient  without  a 
new  heart,  is  the  same  as  to  tell  him  to  dismiss  all  his  anxiety, 
and  to  go  back  to  a  state  of  stupidity.  Patient  in  his  sins  ! 
Rather  let  him  be  more  and  more  impatient  with  himself  and 
with  his  deplorable  condition.  Let  him  tremble  in  view  of  a 
judgment  to  come,  and  weep  and  howl  for  the  miseries  that 
are  coining  upon  him. 

"  What  is  meant,  when  the  sinner  is  directed  to  wait  God's 
time  ?  Is  it  meant  that  God  is  not  now  ready  to  receive  the 
sinner  ?  Is  it  meant  that  the  sinner  is  willing  to  do  his  part, 
and  that  he  must  wait  for  God  to  do  his  1  If  so,  why  not 
speak  plainly,  and  tell  the  sinner,  I  know  you  are  ready  and 
willing  to  be  a  christian  ;  but  God  is  not  yet   ready  and  will- 


DB  .    N  ETT  LET  ON  211 

ing  to  receive  you.  But  if  God  is  not  now  ready  to  receive 
the  returning  sinner,  what  evidence  is  there,  that  he  ever  will 
be  ready  ? 

"  But  when  is  God's  time  ?  Do  those  who  direct  sinners 
to  wait  God's  time,  mean  that  it  is  not  their  duty  to  repent 
and  believe,  till  God  grants  them  repentance  and  faith  ?  Then 
it  never  was  the  duty  of  those  sinners  to  repent,  who  have 
gone  to  destruction,  and  it  never  will  be.  They  waited  all 
their  lives,  and  are  waiting  still,  and  will  wait  to  all  eternity. 
And  it  has  never  yet  been  the  duty  of  any  sinner,  who  is  now 
impenitent,  to  repent,  and  if  God  should  not  grant  him 
repentance,  it  never  will  be.  But  this  directly  contradicts 
the  scriptures. 

"  The  sinner  under  conviction  is  distressed  with  a  sense  of 
his  obligation  to  comply  with  the  terms  of  salvation  without 
delay.  And  there  is  no  way  to  relieve  him  from  his  distress 
while  impenitent,  but  to  release  him  from  his  sense  of  obliga- 
tion to  repent.  To  direct  him  to  wait  God's  time  is  directly 
calculated  to  produce  this  effect,  and  to  counteract  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Divine  Spirit.  It  is  to  plead  the  sinner's  cause 
against  God. 

"  But  is  it  not  hard  to  distress  the  sinner  by  pressing  him 
with  his  obligations  ?  It  is  painful,  but  it  is  necessary.  It  is 
painful  to  the  surgeon  to  probe  to  the  bottom  a  dangerous 
wound  ;  but  it  must  be  done,  or  the  patient  will  die.  If  through 
false  pity  we  console  the  sinner  under  these  circumstances, 
there  is  reason  to  fear  that  his  blood  will  be  required  at  our 
hands.  If  we  direct  the  sinner  to  wait,  we  direct  him  to  run 
the  awful  hazard  of  losing  his  soul. 

"  It  is  sometimes  said  to  the  sinner,  under  deep  distress, 
don't  despair. 

"  This  expression  not  infrequently  produces  a  bad  effect 
upon  the  sinner's  mind. 

"  It  is  sometimes  the  case  that  sinners  speak  of  the  great- 
ness of  their  sins  and  the" hopelessness  of  their  condition,  on 


212  MEMOIR    OF 

purpose  to  be  flattered  and  consoled.  And  when  they  do  not, 
it  is  always  best  to  admit  that  their  case  is  quite  as  bad  as 
they  represent  it.  It  is  proper  to  hold  up  the  fullness  of  the 
atonement,  and  the  readiness  of  God  to  forgive  all  who  repent. 
But  this  the  sinner  generally  does  not  doubt.  The  thing  that 
distresses  the  convicted  sinner,  is  the  fear  that  he  never  shall 
repent.  From  his  own  experience  he  has  full  conviction  that 
it  will  never  be  easier  to  repent  than  now.  His  sins  are  in- 
creasing, and  his  heart  is  becoming  more  and  more  perverse. 
God  has  said,  '  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.' 
He  believes  it.  He  despairs  of  obtaining  salvation  without 
repentance  ;  and  of  this  he  ought  to  despair. 

"  In  every  case  of  clear  conviction,  there  is  in  the  mind  of 
the  sinner  a  painful  sense  of  obligation  to  repent,  and  a  fearful 
apprehension  that  he  never  shall  repent.  In  this  state,  he 
sometimes  inquires,  do  you  think  there  is  any  hope  in  my  case  ? 
Do  you  think  I  ever  shall  become  a  christian  ?  This  is  a 
most  interesting  crisis  ;  and  a  little  flattery  here  may  ruin  the 
soul.  The  proper  answer  to  these  inquiries  is,  '  I  do  not 
know.  It  is  altogether  uncertain.  One  thing  is  certain,  how- 
ever great  your  sins  may  be,  if  you  will  repent,  they  shall  be 
pardoned  ;  but  whether  you  ever  will  repent,  is  altogether 
uncertain.  Sinners  as  anxious  as  you,  and  perhaps  more  so, 
have  returned  to  stupidity,  and  their  last  state  has  become 
worse  than  the  first.'  When  sinners  are  in  this  state  of  mind, 
their  friends  are  exceedingly  prone  to  flatter  them.  '  Oh  don't 
despair — Be  patient — Wait  God's  time — You  will  doubtless 
find  relief?  Such  language  is  exceedingly  dangerous.  Every 
word  takes  it  for  granted  that  the  sinner's  concern  for  his  soul 
is  without  foundation.  One  of  two  things  is  true — either  such 
dhections  are  wrong,  or  the  sinner  is  not  under  conviction  ; 
for  if  he  is  under  real  conviction,  the  Spirit  of  God  is  show- 
ing him  his  true  condition.  His  apprehensions  are  well 
founded,  and  if  we  attempt  to  remove  these  apprehensions,  we 
directly  counteract  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  " 


I)  S  .     M  E  T  T  L  E  T  ON. 

The  foregoing  extract  will  give  the  reader  some  idea  of 
the  manner  in  which  Dr.  Nettleton  was  in  the  habit  of  deal- 
ing with  awakened  sinners.  He  did  not  heal  the  heart  of 
sinners  slightly,  nor  cry  peace,  peace,  when  God  had  not 
spoken  peace. 

Dr.  Nettleton  discouraged  every  thing  like  confusion  and 
disorder  in  religious  meetings.  Whenever  he  saw  any  ten- 
dency to  wild  enthusiasm  and  extravagance,  he  exerted  all  his 
influence  to  check  it.  This  is  evident  from  the  extract  of  a 
letter  to  the  Rev.  John  Frost,  inserted  in  a  former  chapter,  in 
which  he  gives  some  account  of  the  commencement  of  the 
revival  in  Salisbury,  Conn. 

In  the  same  letter  he  quotes,  as  expressive  of  his  own  views, 
the  following  remark  of  President  Edwards.  "  It  has  been  a 
common  device  of  the  devil  to  overset  a  revival  of  religion, 
when  he  finds  he  can  keep  men  quiet  and  secure  no  longer, 
by  driving  them  to  excesses  and  extravagances.  He  holds 
them  back  as  long  as  he  can,  but  when  he  can-do  it  no  longer, 
then  he  will  push  them  on,  and  if  possible,  run  them  upon 
their  heads.  And  it  has  been  by  this  means  chiefly,  that  he 
has  been  successful,  in  several  instances,  to  overthrow  most 
hopeful  and  promising  appearances." 

Dr.  Nettleton  never  adopted  the  anxious  seat,  nor  any  of  its 
kindred  measures.  He  never  requested  persons  to  rise  in  the 
assembly  to  be  prayed  for,  or  to  signify  that  they  had  given 
their  hearts  to  God,  or  that  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to 
attend  to  the  subject  of  religion.  He  never  encouraged 
females  to  pray  and  exhort  in  promiscuous  assemblies.  He 
never  held  his  meetings  to  a  late  hour  in  the  night ;  nor  did 
he  encourage  loud  praying  and  exhorting.  He  did  not  encour- 
age young  converts,  and  others  who  had  more  zeal  than  dis- 
cretion, to  take  the  charge  of  religious  meetings,  or  to  go  forth 
as  public  exhorters.  He  was  never  personal  in  his  prayers 
and  exhortations,  nor  did  he  countenance  it  in  others.  He 
did  not  allow  himself  to  denounce  ministers  and  professors  of 


214  MEMOIR     OF 

religion,  as  cold  and  dead,  and  as  the  enemies  of  revivals. 
He  entirely  disapproved  of  all  such  measures,  and  considered 
them  as  suited  to  mar  the  purity  of  revivals,  and  to  promote 
fanaticism  and  delusion.  It  was  against  such  measures  as 
these,  introduced  in  the  western  revivals,  that  he  set  his  face 
iii  1S26,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel.*  His  meetings  were 
regular  and  orderly  ;  characterized  by  great  stillness  and 
solemnity.  They  were,  it  is  true,  sometimes  interrupted  by 
the  overwhelming  distress  of  a  convicted  sinner.  But  when 
this  was  the  case,  the  individual  was  immediately  removed  to 
a  neighboring  house,  and  means  were  adopted  to  check  the 
effect  of  mere  sympathy  on  the  occasion — as  in  the  case  which 
occurred  at  Milton,  already  mentioned.  I  will  mention 
another  case  which  occurred  at  Waterbury.  At  an  evening 
meeting,  a  man  was  so  overcome  with  distress,  that  it  became 
necessary  to  remove  him  from  the  house.  For  a  moment  the 
congregation  was  greatly  agitated.  Dr.  Nettleton  requested  a 
physician  who.  was  present,  to  attend  to  the  case,  and  then 
desired  the  congregation  to  be  seated  and  to  attend  to  the  dis- 
course. Immediately  the  assembly  was  as  still  as  if  nothing 
special  had  occurred. 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  in  the  habit  of  appointing  meetings  of 
inquiry  for  those  who  were  under  religious  concern  ;  and 
these  meetings,  under  his  management,  were  eminently  useful. 
They  were  usually  conducted  in  the  following  manner.  After 
a  short  address,  suited  to  produce  solemnity,  and  to  make  all 
who  were  present  feel  that  they  were  in  the  presence  of  a 
holy  and  heart  searching  God,  he  would  offer  prayer.  Then, 
he  would  speak  to  each  individual  present  in  a  low  voice, 
unless  the  number  was  so  large   as  to  render  it  impossible. 


*  He  says  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  written  in  1835,  "  I  did  not  oppose  these 
measures  because  they  were  new,  but  because  of  the  mischief  which  they  had 
done  in  bringing  the  very  name  of  a  revival  into  disgrace.  And  up  to  this  day, 
I  have  in  no  instance  called  on  sinners  to  take  a  separate  or  anxious  seat.  Nor 
was  I  ever  present  to  witness  the  scene  as  practiced  by  others." 


DR.    NETTLETOX.  215 

When  that  was  the  case,  he  would  sometimes  have  one  or 
two  brethren  in  the  ministry  to  assist  him.  He  would  con- 
verse with  each  one  but  a  short  time.  The  particular  object 
of  this  conversation  was  to  ascertain  the  state  of  each  one's 
mind.  He  would  then  make  a  solemn  address,  giving  them 
such  counsel  as  he  perceived  to  be  suited  to  their  condition  ; 
after  which  he  closed  the  meeting  with  prayer.  He  usually 
advised  them  to  retire  with  stillness,  and  to  go  directly  to  their 
closets. 

He  was  very  particular  to  warn  those  who  were  anxious, 
and  those  who  were  -indulging  hope,  against  the  danger  of 
self-deception.  He  reminded  them  of  the  deceitfulness  of  the 
human  heart,  and  of  the  unremitted  efforts  of  the  great-adver- 
sary to  delude  unwary  souls.  On  entering  a  house  one  morn- 
ing, in  New  Haven,  in  the  revival  of  1815,  a  person  said  to 
him,  "  here  are  three  more  rejoicing."  He  replied,  "  if  1 
knew  as  well  as  the  angels  whether  they  have  truly  repented, 
1  should  know  whether  to  rejoice  with  them."  He  was  very 
cautious  not  to  euopurage  premature  hope.  He  never  told  a 
person  that  he  thought  he  had  experienced  religion ;  but  he 
often  advised  persons  to  give  up  their  hopes. 

He  took  great  pains  to  instruct  young  converts  in  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  christian  religion.  He  would  often 
appoint  meetings  for  their  special  benefit.  In  these  meetings 
he  was  wont  to  explain  and  enforce  in  a  familiar  manner,  the 
doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Hence  the  young  converts  became 
rooted  and  grounded  in  the  truth,  and  continued  steadfast  in 
the  faith.  In  this  way  also,  they  became  acquainted  with  one 
another,  and  receiving  the  same  doctrines  and  drinking  into 
the  same  spirit,  they  became  united  as  a  band  of  brethren. 

He  felt  it  to  be  of  the  first  importance  to  preach  the  doc- 
trines of  grace  with  great  plainness,  in  revivals  of  religion. 
He  had  no  confidence  in  those  revivals,  in  which  these"  doc- 
trines could  not  be  preached.  His  opinion  was  that  while  the 
preaching  of  divine  sovereignty  and  election,  with  their  kin- 


216  MEMOIR    OF 

dred  doctrines,  was  eminently  fitted  to  check  fanaticism,  and 
put  a  period  to  a  spurious  religious  excitement,  it  was  equally 
adapted  to  promote  a  genuine  revival  of  religion.  In  Dr. 
Porter's  lectures  on  Homiletics,  I  find  the  following  reference 
to  Dr.  Nettleton's  opinion  and  practice  in  relation  to  this 
subject. 

"  The  minister  of  Christ,  whose  experience  and  success  in 
such  seasons  have  been  greater  than  those  of  any  other  man 
in  modern  times,  observed  to  me,  '  I  have  seen  churches  run 
down  by  repeated  excitements  in  which  there  was  emotion 
merely,  without  instruction:  '  In  the  first  stage  of  a  revival,' 
said  he,  '  while  depravity  is  yet  ascendant,  and  conscience 
asleep,  I  would  preach  the  Law,  with  its  awful  sanctions  and 
solemn  claims  on  sinners  to  be  holy  and  that  immediately. 
But  when  the  first  moments  of  a  revival  are  past,  and  sinners 
are  settling  down  on  presumptuous  confidences,  I  would  preach 
Election.  Conscience  is  then  roused  enough  to  make  a  cord 
which  sinners  cannot  break.  Their  own  convictions  are  on 
ray  side,  so  that  they  cannot  escape  ;  and  I  would  hold  them 
fast,  and  repeat  my  strokes  under  the  fire  and  hammer  of 
divine  truth.'  " 

He  was  cautious  in  admitting  persons  to  the  church.  He 
would  not  encourage  any  to  make  a  profession  of  religion  till 
they  gave  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart.  His 
fidelity  in  this  respect,   is  illustrated  by  the  following  fact. 

In  the  town  of  W ,  where  there  had  been  an   extensive 

revival  under  his  preaching,  a  meeting  was  appointed  for  the 
examination  of  those  who  were  desirous  of  making  a  profes- 
sion of  religion.  A  man  and  his  wife  attended  this  meeting, 
who  had,  till  a  short  time  before,  belonged  to  another  religious 
denomination.  They  were  persons  of  great  respectability, 
and  of  a  blameless  life  ;  but  they  gave  no  satisfactory  evi- 
dence of  having  experienced  a  change  of  heart.  The  deacons 
and  committee  of  the  church  were  in  favor  of  admitting  them. 
They  knew  not  how  to  reject  persons  of  their  character  and 


DR.    NETTLETON.  217 

standing  in  society.  But  Dr.  Nettleton  would  not  consent. 
The  next  day,  he  called  on  these  individuals,  and  in  a  kind 
and  affectionate  manner  informed  them  of  his  fears  respecting 
their  religious  experience,  and  pointed  out  to  them  the  danger 
of  making  a  profession  of  religion  without  the  requisite  qual- 
ifications. They  immediately  withdrew  their  application. 
Soon  after  this,  Dr.  Nettleton  left  the  town  ;  but  within  a 
short  time,  he  was  informed  by  letter,  that  these  individuals 
had  both  become  the  hopeful  subjects  of  divine  grace.  Some 
months  afterwards,  on  a  visit  to  the  place,  he  called  on  this 
family.  The  man  and  his  wife  both  met  him  at  the  door,  and 
with  tears  in  their  eyes  they  seized  him  by  the  hand,  and 
broke  out  in  strains  of  the  most  unfeigned  gratitude.  "  Oh," 
said  they,  "  if  it  had  not  been  for  your  faithfulness,  we  should 
have  lost  our  souls."  Let  this  example  stimulate  all  ministers 
to  faithfulness  and  caution  in  admitting  members  to  the  com- 
munion of  the  church. 

Dr.  Nettleton  had  but  little  confidence  in  the  conversion  of 
persons  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  using  spirituous  liquors, 
unless  they  entirely  abandoned  the  habit,  and  he  was  very 
unwilling  to  admit  such  persons  to  the  church.  His  views  on 
this  subject  are  expressed  in  a  letter  which  was  written  to 
Dr.  Beecher,  in  May,  1822,  and  which  was  afterwards  pub- 
lished in  the  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims.  This  letter  is  so  valuable 
on  many  accounts,  that  I  shall  insert  it  entire. 

"  My  dear  brother  :  —  I  hear  frequently  from  many  places 
where  God  has,  of  late,  poured  out  his  Spirit  and  revived  his 
work.  My  friends  residing  in  these  places,  far  and  near, 
either  visit  me  or  write  to  me,  and  tell  me  all  their  joys  and  sor- 
rows. For  a  number  of  years  I  have  kept  a  list  of  the  names 
of  those  who  have  hopefully  experienced  religion,  and  made  a 
profession  of  it,  in  these  revivals.  When  far  from  them,  in 
my  retired  moments,  I  have  often  read  over  their  names,  and 
pondered  on  them,  and  on  the  scenes  they  have  awakened, 
with  emotions  too  big  for  utterance.  I  have  watched  them 
19 


218  MEMOIR     OP 

with  anxious  solicitude,  and  have  made  particular  inquiry 
about  the  spiritual  welfare  of  each  one,  as  opportunity  pre- 
sented. My  heart  has  often  been  refreshed,  when  some 
Timothy  has  brought  me  good  tidings  of  the  faith  and  charity 
of  the  young  converts.  No  tidings  have  been  more  refreshing. 
I  have  often  had  occasion  to  adopt  the  language  of  Paul  on 
this  very  subject,  '  What  thanks  can  we  render  to  God  again, 
for  all  the  joy  wherewith  we  joy  for  your  sakes  before  our  God.'' 

"  During  the  leisure  occasioned  by  my  late  illness,  I  have 
been  looking  over  the  regions  where  God  has  revived  his  work 
for  the  two  years  past,  The  thousands  who  have  professed 
Christ  m  this  time,  in  general,  appear  to  run  well.  Hitherto 
I  think  they  have  exhibited  more  of  the  christian  temper,  and 
a  better  example  than  the  same  number  who  have  professed 
religion  when  there  was  no  revival.  With  hundreds  of  these 
I  conversed  when  anxious  for  their  souls,  and  afterwards, 
when  rejoicing  in  hope.  Some  of  them  I  have  followed  through 
life,  and  down  to  the  grave.  If  genuine  religion  is  not  found 
in  revivals,  I  have  no  evidence  that  it  exists  in  our  world.  Some 
few,  indeed,  have  dishonored  their  profession,  have  opened 
afresh  the  wounds  of  the  Saviour,  and  caused  the  hearts  of  his 
friends  to  bleed.  Bunyan  says, '  If  at  any  time  I  heard  of  such 
instances  of  apostacy  among  those  who  had  been  hopefully 
benefited  by  my  ministry,  I  feel  worse  than  if  I  had  followed 
one  of  my  own  natural  children  to  the  grave.'  I  have  lost 
near  and  dear  relations,  but  the  tidings  of  which  Bunyan 
speaks,  have  sometimes  struck  me  with  deeper  sadness.  Of 
the  few  who  have  finally  apostatized,  you  may  wish  to  know 
the  cause.  I  have  made  particular  inquiry,  and  find  that  the 
declension  of  some  has  commenced  with  an  undue  conformity 
to  the  world  ;  but  the  sin  of  intemperance  has  caused  more 
trouble,  and  done  more  dishonor  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  than 
any  other  that  can  be  named. 

"  Though  some  have  confessed,  and  doubtless  repented  of 
other  crimes,  yet  few  if  any  excommunications  have  hitherto 


DR.    NETTLETON.  219 

taken  place,  tor  any  crime  except  intemperance.  I  have  heard 
from  S county,  that  of  the  hundreds  who  professed  reli- 
gion there  two  years  ago,  a  few  only  have  been  called  to  a 
public  confession,  and  these  have  been  restored. 

"  1  have  heard  of  one  excommunication.  He  was  an  ac- 
quaintance of  mine,  a  man  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  in  the 
town  of  M .  He  had  been  a  little  inclined  to  intemper- 
ance. He  was  anxious  with  others  ;  his  conversion  was  con- 
sidered interesting  ;  and  at  the  time  he  professed  religion,  it 
was  thought  that  his  habit  was  broken.  But  before  I  left  that 
place  he  ventured  to  drink  a  little.  On  a  public  occasion  he 
became  boisterous,  and  charged  one  man  with  lying,  and  that 
led  on  to  an  angry  dispute,  in  which  all  present  considered 
him  the  aggressor.     This  was  soon  noised  through  the  place. 

"  It  gave  a  general  shock  to  all  the  young  converts.  1  well 
remember  the  effect.  Each  one  began  to  tremble  lest  he  too 
should  wound  the  cause  which  was  dearer  to  him  than  life.  I 
shall  not  forget  what  tenderness  of  conscience  the  young 
converts  manifested.     Each  one  seemed  to  tremble  most  of 

all  for  himself.     The  next  morning  Mr.  H became  sober, 

and  now  he  felt  exceedingly  chagrined  on  remembering  what 
he  had  said  and  done.  He  told  me  that  his  first  thought  in 
the  morning  was,  that  he  had  dishonored  religion,  and  he 
could  not  bear  to  be  seen.  He  was  almost  tempted  to  leave 
his  family  and  friends,  and  abscond.  He  however  confessed 
his  fault  and  appeared  penitent.  But,  sad  to  relate,  he  drank 
again  ;  and,  as  I  have  been  informed,  is  now  cut  off  and 
utterly  abandoned. 

"  A  Mr.  T ,  in  the  town  of  B ,  wras  under  conviction, 

hopefully  experienced  religion,  and  made  a  public  profession, 
with  about  sixty  others.  He  appeared  well,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  this  circumstance,  that  previous  to  his  convictions,  he 
had  been  a  little  inclined  to  intemperance.  In  the  judgment 
of  charity,  he  had  reformed  and  become  a  new  man.  He  for- 
sook  his   wicked    companions,    prayed   in   his    family,  and 


220  MEMOIR    OF 

appeared  to  be  much  engaged  in  religion,  and  continued  for  a 
number  of  months  to  adorn  his  profession.  But  he  began  by 
slow  and  cautious  steps  (as  he  thought)  to  sip  a  little  only  for 
his  health.  Though  not  drunk  he  became  foolish,  and  this  led 
on  to  other  things,  until  he  dishonored  the  cause  of  religion. 
He  made  a  public  confession  of  his  fault,  and  for  a  while 
appeared  penitent.  But  he  drank  again,  and  this  led  to  other 
unchristian  conduct,  which  demanded  christian  satisfaction. 
His  brethren  began,  a  few  days  since,  their  endeavors  to 
reclaim  him.  But  he  removed  in  the  night,  with  all  his  family, 
and  has  left  the  State  to  avoid  another  confession.  We  con- 
sider him  a  ruined  man. 

"  In  the  town  of  K ,  a  promising  young  man,  hopefully 

experienced  religion,  during  the  recent  powerful  revival  there, 
and  made  a  public  profession,  on  the  same  day  with  a  hundred 
and   six  others.     I   believe   he   was  never  considered  at  all 

inclined   to  intemperance.     He  left  K and  labored  in 

company  with  others,  who  made  free  use  of  ardent  spirits. 
He  soon  contracted  a  taste  for  it,  and  we  have  heard  of  the 
public  disgrace  which  he  has  brought  on  the  cause  of  religion. 
With  taunting  voice,  the  enemies  have   been  heard  to  say 

around  him,  '  There  is  one  of  Mr.  K 's  converts.'    Brother 

K went  after  him  to  a  neighboring  place,  and  the  young 

man  has  just  made  a  public  confession  of  his  fault,  and  appears 
penitent.  I  find  that  all  are  flattering  themselves  that  he  will 
never  offend  again.  I  should  think  and  rejoice  with  them,  if 
I  had  not  so  often  been  disappointed.  Of  the  whole  number 
who  professed  religion  in  that  revival,  this,  I  think,  is  the  only 
instance  of  an  offence  demanding  a  public  confession. 

"  When  I  look  back  on  revivals  which  took  place  ten  or 
fifteen  years  ago,  I  have  been  agreeably  surprised  to  find  so 
many  of  the  subjects  of  them  continuing  to  adorn  their  profes- 
sion. Take  the  whole  number  who  professed  religion  as  the 
fruit  of  these  revivals,  and  take  the  same  number  who  professed 
religion  when  there  was  no  general  revival,  and  I  do  not  think 


DR.    NETTLETON.  221 

the  former  have  oul-shined  the  latter.  I  have  not  made  a  par- 
ticular estimate,  but  from  what  1  have  seen,  I  do  believe  the 
number  of  excommunications  from  the  latter  is  more  than 
double,  in  proportion  to  the  former.  And  I  find,  all  along,  that 
more  excommunications  have  taken  place  in  consequence  of 
intemperance,  than  for  any  other  crime. 

"  A  Mr.  H ,  a  member  of  Brother  T 's  church,  was 

thought  to  have  experienced  religion  in  L ,  in  the  days  of 

your  predecessor.  He  was  a  promising,  active  young  man, 
much  beloved  and  highly  esteemed  by  christians,  and  never 
suspected  of  intemperance  until  about  a  year  since.  The 
disclosure  of  this  fact  not  only  grieved  christians,  but  surprised 
and  astonished  every  body.  Though  he  was  not  suspected  of 
intemperance,  it  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  he  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  drinking  a  little  in  private.  This  is  one  method 
of  covering  sin.    Whoever  does  it  is  privately  working  out  the 

ruin  of  his  soul.     But  Mr.  H made  a  public  confession, 

appeared  penitent,  and  all  rejoiced  in  his  reformation.     This 

I    said,    was  about  a  year  ago.      When  I   was  last  in  N 

he  called  at  brother  T 's  on  an  evening  visit.     It  was 

evident  he  had  been  drinking.     The  next  day  brother  T 

warned  him  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
He  was  past  fear,  and  past  shame,  and  all  have  given  him  up 
as  lost.  He  had  accomplished  his  ruin  by  drinking  in  private, 
before  his  friends  had  any  chance  to  prevent  it.  I  could  name 
a  number  of  individuals,  in  different  towns  in  this  State,  whose 
case  is  similar  to  this. 

"  Now,  my  brother,  what  shall  be  done  ?  I  do  not  ask  what 
shall  be  done  to  reclaim  those  who  have  so  grievously  offended- 
For  these  nothing,  ordinarily,  can  be  done.  Their  case  is 
hopeless.  My  inquiry  is,  what  shall  be  done  to  prevent  the 
future  disgrace  of  the  cause  of  Christ  ?  As  for  those  who 
have  confessed  their  fault,  and  have  been  restored  to  fellow- 
ship, they  must  remain  where  they  are,  until  the  next  offence 
cuts  them  off.  But  a  public  confession  for  intemperance  I 
19* 


222  MEMOIR     OF 

think  is  about  nothing,  and  ought  to  go  for  nothing.  The  only 
evidence  of  repentance  in  such  cases,  e-5  a  continued  course 

OF  ENTIRE  ABSTINENCE  FROM  ARDENT  SPIRITS  OF  EVERY  KIND. 

"  As  for  those  who  think  they  have  experienced  a  change, 
if  their  habits  are  bordering  on  intemperance,  we  ought  to  be 
cautious  how  we  admit  them  to  a  public  profession.  If  they 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  drinking  freely,  though  not  to  intoxi- 
cation, however  clear  in  other  respects,  this  circumstance  alone 
renders  the  evidence  of  their  conversion  very  doubtful.  From 
what  I  have  seen,  I  do  believe  no  class  of  persons  are  more 
likely  to  be  deceived  with  false  hopes  than  the  intemperate. 
If,  while  under  conviction,  a  person  allows  himself  to  sip  a 
little,  or  raises  his  sinking  spirits  in  the  least,  he  is  sure  to 
grieve  away  the  Spirit  of  God. 

"During  the   revival  at  S two  years  ago,  I  witnessed 

an  instance,  which  if  you  please,  I  will  relate.     Mr.  A 

was  one  of  the  most  respectable  men  in  that  village,  about 
thirty -five  years  of  age,  who  kept  a  large  boarding-house. 
His  wife  was  under  deep  conviction,  and  soon  was  rejoicing 
in  hope,  and  prayed  with  and  for  her  husband.  This  was  the 
means  of  his  conviction  ;  though  at  the  time  it  was  not  known. 
Report  said  that  he  was  confined  to  his  bed,  and  was  danger- 
ously ill.  Hints  were  privately  circulated  that  he  was  anx- 
ious for  his  soul,  and  was  ashamed  to  have  it  known.     It  was 

late  in  the  evening  when   brother  G went  to  his  house, 

and   found   him  in   a  bed -room,  in  a  remote  corner,  in  the 

greatest  agony.     '  What  is  the  matter?'  said  brother  G- . 

'  Oh,  I  am  sick  ;  I  am  in  such  distress.'  '  But  your  pulse  is 
regular,  where  is  your  pain  V  He  made  no  reply,  but  with 
violence  smote  upon  his  breast.  He  asked,  '  Is  it  there  ?' 
1  It  is,'  he  replied.  The  next  evening,  I  called  and  found 
him  in  the  same  distress.     His  convictions   appeared  to  be 

deep.     But  when  I  returned,  I  suggested  to  brother  G a 

suspicion  of  the  smell  of  ardent  spirits.  I  then  related  a 
number  of  anecdotes  of  false  conversions,  connected  with  his 


DR.     NETTLE  TON.  223 

suspicious  scent.  '  Mr.  A.  is  a  very  moral  man,'  said  he,  !  and 
far  from  suspicion  on  that  point.'  But  for  fear,  he  sent  me 
back  to  give  him  a  solemn  caution.     I  returned,   and  with 

much  delicacy,  warned  him  not  to  taste,  lest He  seemed 

startled  at  my  suggestion,  and  assured  me  he  was  far  from  the 
habit.  I  requested  his  wife  to  watch  him,  and  learned  from 
her,  that  through  his  distress  his  strength  had  greatly  failed, 
and  that  he  had  taken  a  very  little  only,  to  prevent  his  sinking 

entirely.     I  returned    and  observed  to   brother  G that  I 

feared  Mr.  A.  was  a  ruined  man.  His  concern  continued  for 
a  few  days,  when  he  became  exceedingly  joyful.  His  con- 
version was  considered  wonderful.  But  my  joy  was  check- 
ed. I  could  not  forget  the  smell  of  ardent  spirits.  I  called 
and  found  him  much  elated  with  joy.  But  when  I  cautioned 
him,  he  seemed  surprized,  and  somewhat  offended,  and 
observed,  '  I  think  I  have  been  distressed  enough  to  experi- 
ence religion !'  '  Ah,'  said  I  '  now  I  doubt  more  than  ever 
whether  your  heart  has  ever  been  changed.  Do  you  think 
there  is  any  merit  in  the  distress  of  an  awakened  sinner  ? 
Suppose  you  had  been  to  hell,  and  endured  the  torments  of 
the  damned  ;  what  then  !  It  is  not  distress,  but  love  to  God, 
and  a  change  of  heart,  which  alone  can  fit  the  sinner  for 
heaven.' 

"  After  a  little  conversation,  his  heart  rose  in  such  oppo- 
sition, that  he  relinquished  his  hope  ;  his  distress  returned  in 
a  moment  ;  and  he  cried  out,  '  What  shall  I  do  V  His  heart 
was  evidently  unrenewed,  and  quarreling  with  the  justice  of 
God.  From  some  expressions,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  his 
heart,  and  that,  if  he  should  ever  experience  religion,  it  was 
his  secret  purpose  never  to  make  a  public  profession  of  it. 
He  was  evidently  unhumbled — like  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to 
the  yoke.  I  put  into  his  hands,  Edwards  on  the  justice  of 
God  in  the  damnation  of  sinners.  Shortly  he  again  found 
relief.  He  wished  to  profess  religion  with  others,  but  prudence 
led  us  to  wait;  and  the   result  was,  that  in  process  of  lime, 


224  MEMOIR   OF 

he  became  a  sot.     1  know  not  of  a  more  hopeless  being  on 
earth.     He  does  no  business  ;  has  drunk  himself  out  of  his 

property,  and  almost  out  of  his  reason  ;  and  as  brother  G 

says,  he  has  become  a  brute. 

"  I  could  fill  sheets  with  the  relation  of  facts  of  a  similar 
character ;  all  of  which  lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  persons 
of  intemperate  habits,  though  deeply  convicted,  are  far  more 
likely  to  rest  in  a  false  hope  than  others.  However  distressed 
a  person  of  this  character  may  have  been,  or  however  joyful 
in  hope,  I  think  we  may  set  it  down  as  a  probable  sign  of  a 
false  conversion,  if  he  allows  himself  to  taste  a  single  drop. 
If  he  does  not  give  evidence  that  he  intends  to  abstain  wholly 
and  forever,  I  feel  decided  that  he  ought  not  to  profess  reli- 
gion. If  he  cannot  be  willing  to  do  this,  he  can  have  no 
sufficient  evidence  of  his  own  repentance  or  conversion,  and 

his  hope  is   a  spider's   web.     Brother   T preached  an 

excellent  sermon,  not  long  since  from  these  words  ;  *  Cleanse 
thou  me  from  secret  faults  ;  keep  back  thy  servant  also  from 
presumptuous  sins.'  In  the  class  of  presumptuous  sinners  he 
placed  the  person  of  intemperate  habits.  'The  person  who 
has  drunk  to  excess,  and  has  been  warned,  cannot  venture  to 
drink  again,  at  all,  without  sinning  presumptuously.  He  sins 
deliberately  and  with  his  eyes  open.  Let  him  remember  that 
he  drinks  damnation.''  I  felt  the  justice  of  this  last  sentence. 
It  was  attended  with  a  thrill  of  horror.  I  am  satisfied  that 
he  who  cannot  break  off  entirely,  and  at  once,  can  never  do 
it.  And  without  it,  we  can  have  no  evidence  of  his  piety. 
Every  time  he  tastes,  he  is  putting  fire  to  tinder  and  powder. 
If  he  really  thinks  he  can  drink  a  little,  and  yet  not  become  a 
drunkard,  his  danger  is  so  much  more  the  greater.  This  con- 
fidence evinces  his  consummate  ignorance  of  his  own  heart. 
This  confidence,  if  not  destroyed,  will  damn  him.  '  He  that 
trustcth  in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool.'' 

"  I  wish  that  all  the  young  converts  who  make  a  profession 
of  religion,  would  make  it  a  point  of  conscience  not  to  taste 


D  B  .    NETTLETON.  225 

of  ardent  spirits.  This  is  the  way  in  which  many  have 
dishonored  the  cause  of  Christ  on  public  occasions.  In  this 
way,  thousands  have  become  drunkards.  I  scarcely  expect 
that  any  drunkard  will  be  reformed,  by  any  measures  that 
can  be  adopted.  The  only  successful  method  of  preventing 
this  kind  of  disgrace  to  religion  in  future,  is,  to  begin  with  the 
temperate.  Though  the  plague  cannot  be  cured,  it  may  be 
shunned.  Had  all  young  converts  seen  what  I  have,  they 
would  need  no  other  motives  to  induce  them  to  adopt  the 
resolution  to  abandon  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  forever.  Could 
I  learn  that  all  the  young  converts  in  your  parish  had  jointly 
adopted  this  resolution,  it  would  be  to  themselves,  to  you,  and 
to  me,  a  most  delightful  evidence  of  the  sincerity  of  their 
christian  profession,  as  well  as  of  genuine  conversion. 
'  Dearly  beloved^  I  beseech  you  as  strangers  and  pilgrims, 
abstain  from  fleshly  lusts,  which  war  against  the  soul.'' 

"  Yours  as  ever." 


CHAPTER   XI 


Character  of  the  Revivals  under  his  preaching. 

There  was  a  striking  resemblance  between  the  revivals 
which  occurred  under  Dr.  Nettleton's  preaching,  and  those 
which  occurred  at  the  close  of  the  last,  and  at  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century.  Let  any  one  read  with  attention  the 
narratives  published  in  the  first  three  or  four  volumes  of  the 
Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine,  and  he  will  obtain  a  very 
correct  idea  of  the  revivals  of  which  I  am  speaking.  If 
there  was  any  difference,  it  was  this  ;  that  the  latter  were 
more  powerful  and  more  extensive  ;  that  is,  they  were  char- 
acterized by  more  clear  and  distressing  conviction  of  sin.  and 
in  some  instances,  embraced  a  larger  number  of  subjects.  As 
to  the  doctrines  which  were  preached,  the  means  employed, 
and  the  character  of  the  religious  exercises  both  of  awakened 
sinners  and  hopeful  converts,  there  was  a  marked  coinci- 
dence. The  same  may  be  said  as  to  the  permanency  of  their 
fruits.  A  large  proportion  of  the  hopeful  converts  in  all 
these  revivals,  continued  to  adorn  the  christian  profession. 

These  revivals  were  characterized  by  great  solemnity. 
Christians  were  solemn.  They  were  not  merely  excited  and 
filled  with  great  animation  for  a  season  ;  but  they  were  deeply 
humbled  in  view  of  their  past  neglects  of  duty.  They 
mourned  over  their  backslidings,  and  returned  to  God  with 
deep  contrition.  Sensible  of  their  great  sinfulness,  and  of 
the  alarming  condition  of  sinners  around  them,  they  felt  deeply 


DR.    NETTLETON,  227 

solemn,  and  walked  humbly  with  God.  Their  minds,  it  is 
true,  were  sometimes  filled  with  great  joy,  but  it  was  a  joy 
mingled  with  reverence.  They  felt  that  they  were  in  the 
presence  of  God,  and  had  no  disposition  to  indulge  in  vain 
mirth.  They  carefully  abstained  in  their  conversation,  from 
every  thing  suited  to  produce  levity  or  to  banish  serious 
thoughts  from  the  minds  of  the  impenitent.  The  things  of 
eternity  lay  with  great  weight  on  their  minds,  and  had  a  com- 
manding influence  upon  all  their  conduct.  When  they  looked 
around  them,  and  saw  so  many  of  their  fellow  men  perishing 
in  sin,  their  eyes  affected  their  hearts.  They  felt  in  some 
measure,  as  did  the  weeping  prophet  when  he  said,  "  Oh 
that  my  head  were  wraters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears  ; 
that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter 
of  my  people."  With  these  feelings,  they  could  not  but  be 
solemn. 

Sinners  were  solemn.  Those  who  were  under  conviction 
were  bowed  down  with  distress.  They  felt  like  criminals 
under  sentence  of  death.  In  some  cases,  as  we  have  seen, 
their  distress  was  exceedingly  great.  And  when  a  revival 
had  become  somewhat  extensive  in  a  parish  the  whole  com- 
munity was  more  or  less  solemn.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Porter  of 
Farmington,  speaking  of  the  revival  in  that  town  says,  "  The 
state  of  feeling  which  at  this  time  pervaded  the  town,  was 
interesting  beyond  description.  There  was  no  commotion, 
but  a  stillness  in  our  very  streets  ;  a  serenity  in  the  aspect  of 
the  pious,  and  a  solemnity  apparent  in  almost  all,  which  forci- 
bly impressed  us  with  the  conviction  that  in  very  deed  God 
was  in  this  place."  What  is  here  stated,  might  be  stated  with 
truth  in  reference  to  most  of  the  places  where  revivals  be- 
came extensive  under  Dr.  Nettleton's  labors. 

These  revivals  were  characterized  by  deep  and  clear  con- 
victions of  sin.  Dr.  Nettleton  had  no  confidence  in  those 
revivals  which  dispense  with  the  "  law-work."  He  did  not 
suppose  that  the  work  of  conviction  need  be  of  long  continu- 


228  MEMOIR    OF 

ance.  Although  in  his  own  case  it  was  protracted  through 
many  months,  he  did  not  suppose  it  was  always  so  in  cases 
of  genuine  conversion;  nor  ordinarily,  when  the  doctrines  of 
the  gospel  are  fully  and  plainly  preached,  and  when  the  obli- 
gations of  sinners  are  faithfully  pressed  upon  their  consciences. 
Under  his  preaching  convictions  were  generally  of  short  con- 
tinuance ;  but  they  were  clear,  and  frequently  exceedingly 
distressing.  Sinners  were  not  brought  to  entertain  the  hope 
of  salvation,  without  being  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  lost 
condition  by  nature,  —  nor  were  they  merely  alarmed  by  some 
vague  sense  of  danger ;  but  they  were  convinced  of  sin.  They 
saw  themselves  in  the  light  of  divine  truth.  Like  Peter's 
hearers  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  "  they  were  pricked  in  the 
heart."  "The  commandment  came,  sin  revived,  and  (they) 
died."  They  saw  what  the  law  of  God  required.  They  saw, 
also,  that  they  never  had  obeyed  it  in  a  single  instance,  and 
that  their  hearts  were  at  enmity  against  God  and  not  subject 
to  his  law.  There  was,  it  is  true,  a  difference  in  the  dealings 
of  God  with  different  individuals,  in  respect  to  the  degree  and 
continuance  of  their  convictions,  and  the  strength  and  bitter- 
ness of  their  opposition.  But  in  general  the  convictions  of 
awakened  sinners  were  distinctly  marked.  In  the  first  stages 
of  their  concern,  they  were  usually  filled  with  alarm  on  account 
of  their  past  lives.  Seeing  themselves  in  danger,  they  went 
about  to  establish  their  own  righteousness ;  hoping  by  their 
abundant  religious  services  to  appease  the  anger,  of  God,  and 
to  secure  an  interest  in  his  favor.  But  they  were  soon  con- 
vinced of  the  futility  of  these  efforts.  The  more  they  strove 
to  make  themselves  better,  the  more  they  saw  the  worthless- 
ness  of  their  own  works.  They  were  brought  to  see  that  they 
were  actuated  in  all  that  they  did  by  unholy  motives  ;  and  that 
so  far  from  growing  better,  they  were  adding  sin  to  sin,  and 
sinking  deeper  and  deeper  in  guilt  and  wretchedness.  Thus 
they  were  convinced  of  their  utterly  lost  condition,  and  of  their 
entire  dependance  for  salvation  on  the  sovereign    mercy  of 


DR.    NETTLE  TON,  229 

God.     While  in  this  state  they  were  frequently  sensible  of  the 
most  dreadful  heart-risings  against  God. 

Although  they  were  convinced  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness 
of  such  feelings,  yet  they  found  themselves  disposed  to  accuse 
their  Maker  of  injustice  in  his  commands  and  threatenings,  and 
of  partiality  in  the  dispensation  of  his  grace  ;  and  when  they 
saw  others  brought  to  rejoice  in  hope,  while  they  were  left,  it 
sometimes  filled  them  with  the  bitterest  opposition.  These 
discoveries  of  the  desperate  wickedness  of  their  hearts  occa- 
sioned the  most  acute  distress.  In  some  instances  the  mental 
agony  was  overwhelming.  Such  extreme  distress  was  gene- 
rally of  short  continuance,  and  in  most  cases  it  was  succeeded 
by  joy  and  peace  in  believing. 

In  proof  of  the  deep  feeling  which  occurred  under  Dr.  Net-. 
tleton's  preaching,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  sketch  of  the 
revival  in  Nassau,  inserted  in  a  former  chapter. 

But  while  Dr.  Nettleton  considered  conviction  of  sin  essen- 
tial to  genuine  conversion,  and  while  his  preaching  and  con- 
versation were  adapted  to  give  sinners  a  clear  and  distressing 
view  of  their  true  character  and  condition,  yet  he  endeavored 
to  check  all  violent  manifestations  of  feeling,  by  showing  that 
they  had  in  them  nothing  of  the  nature  of  religion  ;  and  when 
he  discovered  any  tendency  to  such  manifestations  in  a  reli- 
gious meeting,  he  would  generally  dismiss  the  assembly,  and 
advise  the  people  to  retire  in  silence  to  their  homes. 

The  converts  in  these  revivals  were  led  in  a  way  they 
knew  not.  Darkness  was  made  light  before  them.  Previous 
to  their  conversion,  their  duty  had  been  clearly  and  faithfully 
urged  upon  them.  They  had  been  told  that  God  required 
them  immediately  to  repent,  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  to  be 
holy  in  heart  and  life  ;  and  that  he  would  be  pleased  with 
nothing  short  of  holy  obedience.  But  they  were  blind  to  the 
beauty  of  holiness.  They  received  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  for  they  were  foolishness  unto  them,  neither 
could  they  know  them,  because  they  were  spiritually  discerned. 
20 


230  MEMOIR    OF 

Their  hearts  were  opposed  to  all  the  spiritual  duties  which 
God  required.  The  more  they  saw  of  God,  of  themselves, 
and  of  the  terms  of  salvation,  the  more  hopeless  their  condition 
appeared  ;  and  thus  their  prospects  became  darker  and  darker, 
until  light  broke  in  from  above.  They  did  not  feel  that  they 
had  made  themselves  to  differ  from  others  by  any  efforts  of 
their  own.  They  did  not  suppose  that  they  had  gone  through 
a  process  of  means  while  unrenewed,  by  which  they  had  made 
themselves  new  hearts.  On  the  contrary,  they  knew  that 
they  had  resisted  every  overture  of  mercy,  and  that  all  their 
feelings  and  moral  actions  were  sinful,  to  the  very  moment 
when  their  hearts  were  renewed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Consequently  they  took  none  of  the  glory  to  them- 
selves. They  had  no  doubt  that  if  they  were  the  children  of 
God,  it  was  owing  wholly  to  his  distinguishing  grace. 

As  might  be  supposed  from  what  has  just  been  stated,  the 
converts  in  these  revivals  cordially  embraced  the  doctrines  of 
grace,  and  were  steadfast  in  their  belief  of  them.  They 
received  them,  both  because  they  appeared  to  be  clearly 
taught  in  the  scriptures,  and  because  they  were  in  perfect 
harmony  with  their  own  experience.  "  They  were  born  into 
the  truth."  The  knowledge  which  they  had  obtained  of  their 
own  hearts  while  under  conviction,  and  the  wonderful  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  their  views  and  feelings  in  relation 
to  divine  objects,  were  all  in  accordance  with  the  evangelical 
system,  and  entirely  at  variance  with  the  views  of  those  who 
deny  the  doctrines  of  grace.  It  wTas  no  matter  of  doubt  with 
them  whether  the  natural  heart  is  totally  depraved,  and  unre- 
conciled to  God.  They  knew  it  to  be  true  in  reference  to 
themselves,  for  it  had  been  matter  of  painful  consciousness. 
They  were  of  course  convinced  that  salvation  must  be  by 
grace  through  the  redemption  of  Christ.  They  trusted  alone 
in  his  righteousness  for  justification,  and  counted  all  things 
but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus, 
their  Lord.     They  were  fully  convinced  of  the   necessity  of 


DR.NETTLETON.  23 1 

regeneration  by  the  special  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for 
they  knew  that  if  they  had  passed  from  death  unto  life,  they 
had  "  been  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor 
of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  They  were  also  convinced 
that  unless  God  had  from  all  eternity  determined  to  make 
some  of  mankind  the  trophies  of  grace,  not  an  individual  of 
the  human  race  would  obtain  salvation.  The  doctrine  of 
eternal  and  particular  election,  therefore,  appeared  to  them  to 
lie  at  the  foundation  of  all  hope  in  regard  to  the  salvation  of 
man  ;  and  they  rejoiced  in  the  assurance  that  God  hath  from 
the  beginning  chosen  some  to  salvation  through  sanctification 
of  the  spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth —  and  in  the  promise  that 
all  true  believers  shall  be  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through 
faith  unto  salvation.  The  converts  were  generally  so  stead- 
fast in  their  belief  of  these  doctrines,  that  their  faith  could  not 
be  shaken.  They  possessed,  in  an  unusual  degree,  stability 
of  character.  They  were  not  carried  about  by  every  wind  of 
doctrine,  nor  often  led  astray  by  those  who  lie  in  wait  to  de- 
ceive. The  religious  exercises  of  the  subjects  of  these  revi- 
vals, so  far  as  they  could  be  known,  were  generally  such  as 
indicated  a  radical  change  of  character.  The  whole  current 
of  their  moral  feelings  seemed  to  be  changed.  What  they 
had  hated  now  they  seemed  to  love.  Those  objects  which 
had  awakened  in  their  bosoms  feelings  of  enmity,  were  now 
contemplated  with  supreme  delight.  Their  affections  were 
not  such  as  could  be  traced  to  the  operation  of  any  natural 
principle  of  the  human  mind  ;  such  as  self-love  or  natural 
gratitude.  They  did  not  love  God  merely  on  account  of  his 
kindness  to  them ;  but  on  account  of  the  supreme  excellency 
of  his  character.  Their  first  consolation  did  not  arise  from 
the  belief  that  God  had  pardoned  their  sins,  and  received  them 
to  favor,  for  in  most  instances  when  they  first  found  peace 
they  had  no  apprehensions  that  their  sins  were  pardoned. 
When  divine  objects  appeared  to  them  in  a  new  and  pleasing 
light,  they  scarcely  thought  of  their  personal  safety,  or  whether 


232 


M  E  SI  U  I  Ji     O  V 


they  were  or  were  not  converted.  They  discovered  a  relish 
for  divine  objects  to  which  they  had  been  total  strangers,  and 
the  truths  of  the  gospel  with  which  they  had  been  contending 
were  now  objects  of  complacency.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  persons  whose  chief  distress  had  arisen  from  the 
thought  that  they  were  in  the  hands  of  God,  to  find  themselves 
unexpectedly  rejoicing  in  that  very  thought,  contemplating 
the  glory  of  God  as  an  object  of  higher  importance  than  their 
own  salvation  ;  and  all  this,  while  as  yet  they  had  no  idea  of 
having  experienced  a  change  of  heart.  It  thus  appeared  that 
"  the  first  objective  ground"  of  their  religious  affections,  was 
"  the  transcendently  excellent  and  amiable  nature  of  divine 
things,  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and  not  any  conceivable 
relation  they  bear  to  self,  or  self-interest." 

What  Edwards  says  of  the  converts  in  Northampton,  was 
equally  true  of  those  of  whom  I  am  speaking.  "  It  has  more 
frequently  been  so  among  us,  that  persons  have  had  the  gospel 
ground  of  relief  for  lost  sinners  discovered  to  them,  and  have 
been  entertaining  their  minds  with  the  sweet  prospect,  while 
they  have  thought  nothing  at  that  time  of  their  being  converted. 
There  is  wrought  in  them  a  holy  repose  of  soul  in  God 
through  Christ,  and  a  sweet  disposition  to  fear  and  love  him, 
and  to  hope  for  blessings  from  him  in  this  way,  and  yet  they 
have  no  imagination  that  they  are  now  converted ;  it  does  not 
so  much  as  come  into  their  minds" 

There  are  religious  affections,  and  they  sometimes  rise  to 
a  high  degree,  which  are  founded  in  self-love.  Persons  may 
think  they  love  God,  when  their  love  arises  entirely  from  the 
belief  that  God  loves  them,  and  that  he  has  pardoned  their 
sins,  and  given  them  a  title  to  heaven.  But  such  love  is  natu- 
ral to  the  human  heart,  and  affords  no  evidence  of  a  super- 
natural change.  "  Sinners  also  love  those  that  love  them." 
Persons  may  be  filled  with  joy  because  they  have  persuaded 
themselves,  without  any  good  reason,  that  their  immortal  in- 
terests are  secured  ;  but  such  joy  is  selfish,  and  pnrtnkes  not 


DR.     NETTLETON.  233 

of  the  nature  of  holiness.  Sinners  may  be  convinced  that  in 
order  to  he  happy  they  must  become  the  servants  of  God  ;  and 
they  may  resolve,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  securing  their  happi- 
ness to  devote  themselves  to  the  service  of  God ;  and  having 
adopted  the  opinion  that  such  a  resolution  is  a  change  of  heart, 
they  may  experience  pleasurable  emotions  in  the  thought  that 
they  are  interested  in  the  divine  favor.  But  such  conversions 
imply  no  radical  change  of  character,  and  will  not  endure  the 
test  of  the  judgment  day. 

The  conversions,  in  the  revivals  of  which  I  am  speaking, 
appeared  to  be  widely  different  from  these.  If  any  cases 
occurred  which  appeared  to  be  of  this  description,  they  were 
treated  as  spurious.  If  any  persons  professed  to  have  expe- 
rienced a  change  of  heart,  and  gave  no  other  evidence  than 
what  is  afforded  by  such  religious  affections  as,  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  Brainerd,  "  have  self-love  for  their  beginning,  centre 
and  end,"  they  were  advised  to  abandon  their  hopes  without 
delay. 

The  converts  in  these  revivals  were  not  bold,  forward,  self- 
sufficient  and  censorious ;  but  humble,  meek,  gentle,  and 
docile.  When  we  see  those,  who  profess  to  have  entered 
recently  upon  the  christian  life,  lifted  up  with  pride,  wiser  in 
their  own  estimation  than  their  teachers — disposed  to  put 
themselves  forward  as  leaders — abundant  in  their  censures  of 
old  professors — full  of  self-complacency,  and  self-commenda- 
tion, there  is  reason  to  fear  that  they  know  not  what  manner 
of  spirit  they  are  of.  Such  is  not  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 
"  The  wisdom  which  is  from  above  is  first  pure,  then  peace- 
able, gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good 
fruits,  without  partiality  and  without  hypocrisy."  Our  Sav- 
iour said,  "  except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as  little  chil- 
dren, ye  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  The 
little  child  is  meek,  humble,  docile,  confiding — and  such  is  the 
spirit  of  the  real  children  of  God.  When  those  who  profess 
to  have  become  subjects  of  divine  grace,  exhibit  this  spirit, 
20* 


w23  1  M  E  MOIR    OF 

they  give  evidence  of  being  what  they  profess  to  be.  And 
such  appear  to  have  been  the  converts  generally  in  the  revivals 
of  which  I  am  speaking. 

These  revivals  exerted  a  most  benign  influence  upon  the 
churches.  They  did  not  divide  churches,  and  dissolve  the 
relation  between  pastors  and  their  flocks.  On  the  contrary, 
they  built  up  churches — healed  divisions,  where  they  had 
previously  existed — promoted  union  and  brotherly  love  among 
the  members,  and  greatly  strengthened  the  hands  of  pastors. 

One  striking  effect  of  these  revivals,  was  to  elevate  the 
standard  of  orthodoxy.  Dr.  Nettleton  preached  with  great 
plainness  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism.  Under  his  preaching, 
these  doctrines  were  seen  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion. It  was  in  vain  to  object  that  they  tend  to  paralyze  effort 
and  to  harden  men  in  stupidity.  They  were  seen  to  produce 
the  opposite  effect.  Sinners  were  pricked  in  the  heart  and 
brought  to  repentance.  Saints  were  quickened  and  comforted, 
and  incited  to  fidelity  in  their  master's  service.  The  converts, 
as  we  have  seen,  cordially  embraced  these  doctrines,  and  were 
confirmed  in  their  belief  by  their  own  religious  experience. 
If  creeds  were  altered,  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  making  them 
more  Calvinistic.  In  many  instances,  where  violent  prejudices 
had  existed  against  the  Calvinistic  system,  they  were  over- 
come ;  and  some  churches,  which  had  been  very  lax  in  doc- 
trine, became  sound  in  the  faith. 

These  revivals  exerted  a  salutary  influence  upon  society  at 
large.  They  checked  the  prevalence  of  vice,  raised  the  tone 
of  moral  sentiment,  and  elevated  the  standard  of  morals.  So 
striking  was  the  evidence  that  they  were  not  the  result  of  mere 
human  agency,  that  few  could  resist  the  conviction  that  they 
were  the  work  of  God.  In  those  days,  such  was  the  state  of 
the  public  conscience,  that  the  very  name  of  a  revival  had 
wonderful  power.  Announce  to  a  congregation  that  a  revival 
had  commenced  in  a  neighboring  town,  and  it  would  produce 
great  solemnity  on  the  whole  assembly.     The  general  feeling 


DR.    NETTLETON.  235 

seemed  to  be,  God  has  come  nigh  to  us,  and  is  calling  upon 
us  in  solemn  accents  to  prepare  to  meet  him.  This  state  of 
the  public  mind  was  the  result  of  a  careful  observation  of  the 
effects  of  these  revivals.  They  were  seen  to  be  good.  This 
leads  me  to  observe  once  more, 

The  salutary  fruits  of  these  revivals  were  permanent.  They 
were  not  temporary  excitements  which  were  soon  over,  and 
followed  by  a  melancholy  reaction  ;  but  the  good  effects  were 
abiding.  The  converts  generally  continued  to  adorn  their 
profession.     There  were  but  few  apostacies. 

Dr.  Nettleton,  in  his  letter  to  Dr.  Beecher,  inserted  in  the 
last  chapter,  says,  "  For  a  number  of  years  I  have  kept  a  list 
of  the  names  of  those  who  have  hopefully  experienced  religion, 
and  made  a  profession  of  it  in  these  revivals.  I  have  watched 
them  with  anxious  solicitude,  and  have  made  particular  inquiry 
about  the  spiritual  welfare  of  each  one  as  opportunity  pre- 
sented. The  thousands  who  have  professed  Christ,  in  this 
time,  in  general,  appear  to  run  well.  Hitherto  I  think  they 
have  exhibited  more  of  the  christian  temper,  and  a  better 
example,  than  the  same  number  who  have  professed  religion 
when  there  was  no  revival." 

If  the  reader  will  recur  to  the  accounts  given  by  ministers 
of  the  revivals  among  their  own  people,  under  Dr.  Nettleton's 
preaching,  inserted  in  the  preceding  chapters,  he  will  perceive 
that  they  all  bear  testimony  to  the  permanent  good  effects  of 
his  labors  ;  and  such  testimonials  might  be  multiplied  to  a 
great  extent. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


His  opposition  to  New  Measures. 


In  the  year  1826,  there  was  a  great  religious  excitement  in 
the  central  and  western  parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  occa- 
sioned principally  by  the  labors  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Finney, 
an  evangelist  of  great  zeal,  and  of  considerable  native  elo- 
quence. He  had  been  a  lawyer,  and  having,  as  he  hoped, 
been  converted  to  Christ,  he  entered  the  ministry,  with  but 
little  preparatory  study.  He  was  bold,  ardent,  and  denuncia- 
tory in  his  manner.  He  rebuked  with  harshness  and  great 
severity,  not  only  open  transgressors,  and  impenitent  sinners 
of  every  description,  but.  professors  of  religion  and  ministers 
of  the  gospel  ;  and  was  not  unfrequently  very  pointed  and 
personal  in  his  prayers.  The  consequence  was,  that  he  not 
only  met  with  violent  opposition  from  the  open  enemies  of 
religion,  but  many  of  the  most  judicious  ministers  and  private 
christians,  felt  unwilling  to  sanction  his  proceedings.  Others 
became  his  warm  friends  and  adherents,  and  imbibing  the 
same  spirit,  denounced  their  brethren  as  "  cold  and  dead,  and 
enemies  to  revivals."  Some  young  evangelists,  in  particular, 
attempting  to  imitate  Mr.  Finney,  became  much  more  extrav- 
agant than  their  leader.  But  a  great  excitement  attended  the 
preaching  of  Mr.  Finney  and  his  coadjutors,  and  multitudes 
were  reported  as  the  subjects  of  renewing  grace.  That  very 
many  of  the  reputed  converts  were  like  the  stony  ground 
hearers,  who  endured  only  for  a  time,  few,  I  presume,  will  at 


US.-.    N  E  T  T  L  E  T  u  .\  . 

this  day  be  disposed  to  deny.     Yet,  it  is  believed,  that  some 
were  truly  converted  to  Christ. 

Connected  with  this  excitement,  various  measures  were 
introduced,  similar  to  those  which  in  former  times  had  been 
the  great  instruments  of  marring  the  purity  of  revivals,  and 
promoting  fanaticism — such  as  praying  for  persons  by  name — 
using  great  familiarity  in  prayer — encouraging  females  to 
pray  and  exhort  in  promiscuous  assemblies — calling  upon  per- 
sons to  come  to  the  anxious  seat,  or  to  rise  up  in  the  public 
assembly  to  signify  that  they  had  given  their  hearts  to  C4od, 
or  had  made  up  their  mind  to  attend  to  religion.  The  result 
was,  that  where  this  spirit  prevailed,  and  these  measures  were 
introduced,  there  was  division  in  the  churches.  Those  who 
adopted  these  measures,  often  appealed  to  the  example  of  Dr. 
Nettleton,  and  made  use  of  his  name  to  sanction  their  pro- 
ceedings. Those,  however,  who  were  acquainted  with  him 
and  his  labors  in  revivals,  knew  that  these  representations 
were  not  true.  They  knew  that  he  never  had  introduced  such 
measures,  nor  countenanced  such  a  spirit  as  was  connected 
with  them. 

While  these  things  were  passing  in  the  central  and  western 
parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Dr.  Nettleton,  in  very  feeble 
health,  was  laboring  in  Jamaica,  on  Long  Island.  He  was 
from  time  to  time  made  acquainted  with  what  was  transpiring 
at  the  west,  and  was  not  without  great  solicitude  as  to  tin 
ultimate  results.  The  lesson  which  he  learned  while  labor- 
ing on  the  borders  of  Rhode  Island,  in  those  places  which 
had  been  made  desolate  by  the  operations  of  Davenport  and  his 
coadjutors  a  century  ago,  had  prepared  him  to  resist  every 
thing  which  tended  to  corrupt  revivals  and  promote  fanat- 
icism. 

He  heard  with  inexpressible  pain,  that  his  own  example 
was  appealed  to  at  the  West,  to  sanction  measures  which  he 
had  always  reprobated ;  still,  although  constantly  urged  by 
some  of  his  friends  to  come  out   with  a  public  testimony,  ho 


233  M  LMOIR    OF 

was  very  reluctant  to  do  it,  nor  could  he  be  persuaded  to  pub- 
lish his  views,  till  he  was  fully  convinced  that  a  regard  to  the 
interests  of  Christ's  kingdom  required  it. 

In  the  winter  of  1826-7,  at  the  earnest  request  of  some  of 
his  brethren,  he  visited  Albany,  while  Mr.  Finney  was  preach- 
ing at  Troy.  He  had  two  interviews  with  Mr.  Finney,  hop- 
ing that  by  a  free  consultation,  their  views  might  be  brought 
to  harmonize,  so  far  at  least,  that  they  might  co-operate  in 
promoting  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom.  But  in  this  he 
was  painfully  disappointed.  He  found  that  Mr.  Finney  was 
unwilling  to  abandon  certain  measures  which  he  had  "  ever 
regarded  as  exceedingly  calamitous  to  the  cause  of  revivals," 
and  which,  of  course,  he  could  not  sanction.  He  perceived 
also  that  there  could  be  no  hope  of  convincing  Mr.  Finney 
of  his  errors,  so  long  as  he  was  upheld  and  encouraged  by 
ministers  of  high  respectability.  After  his  second  interview 
with  Mr.  Finney,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Aikin 
of  Utica,  a  part  of  which  is  here  inserted.  It  is  dated, 
Albany,  January  13,  1827. 

"  Seven  years  ago,  about  two  thousand  souls  were  hopefully 
born  into  the  kingdom,  in  this  vicinity,  in  our  own  denomina- 
tion, with  comparative  stillness.  But  the  times  have  altered. 
The  kingdom  of  God  now  cometh  with  great  observation. 
Opposition  from  the  world  is  always  to  be  expected.  It  is 
idle  for  any  minister  to  expect  a  revival  without  it.  But 
when  it  enters  the  church  of  God,  the  friends  of  Zion  cannot 
but  take  the  alarm. 

"  There  is  doubtless  a  work,  of  grace  in  Troy.  Many  sin- 
ners have  hopefully  been  born  into  the  kingdom  ;  but  it  has 
been  at  an  awful  expense.  Many  of  our  first  ministers  have 
visited  the  place,  to  witness  for  themselves.  Such  men  as 
Dr.  Griffin,  Dr.  Porter  of  Catskill,  Dr.  Nott,  Mr.  Tucker,  Mr. 
Cornelius,  and  many  more.  Some  of  them  have  heard  a 
number  of  sermons.  After  giving  credit  for  preaching  much 
truth,  they  uniformly  say  '  I  never  heard   the  names  of  God 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  239 

used  with  such  irreverence.'  Dr.  Griffin  gave  me  a  number 
of  specimens.  I  do  not  wish  to  retail  them.  The  church  in 
Troy  is  greatly  divided.  Some  have  taken  a  dismission  ; 
others  are  consulting  neighboring  ministers  about  the  path  of 
duty  ;  and  others  are  beginning  to  attend  worship  by  them- 
selves. 

"  But  the  worst  is  not  told.  The  spirit  of  denunciation 
which  has  grown  out  of  the  mode  of  conducting  the  revivals 
at  the  West,  is  truly  alarming.  We  do  not  call  in  question 
the  genuineness  of  those  revivals,  or  the  purity  of  the  motives 
of  those  who  have  been  the  most  active  in  them.  You,  doubt- 
less, are  reaping  and  rejoicing  in  their  happy  fruits.  But  the 
evils  to  which  I  allude,  are  felt  by  the  churches  abroad ; 
members  of  which  have  gone  out  to  catch  the  spirit,  and  have 
returned,  some  grieved,  others  soured,  and  denouncing  minis- 
ters, colleges,  theological  seminaries,  and  have  set  whole 
churches  by  the  ears,  and  kept  them  in  turmoil  for  months 
together.  Some  students  in  divinity  have  done  more  mischief 
in  this  way  then  they  can  ever  repair.  I  could  mention 
names,  but  for  exposing  them.  Some  ministers  and  profes- 
sors of  religion  have  been  to  Troy,  from  the  surrounding 
region,  on  purpose  to  catch  the  flame,  and  have  returned 
home,  saying,  '  We  do  not  want  such  a  revival  as  they  have 
in  Trov  '******** 

"  The  evil  is  running  in  all  directions.  A  number  of 
churches  have  experienced  a  revival  of  anger,  wrath,  malice, 
envy,  and  evil-speaking,  without  the  knowledge  of  a  single 
conversion — merely  in  consequence  of  a  desperate  attempt 
to  introduce  these  new  measures.  Those  ministers  and 
christians  who  have  heretofore  been  most  and  longest  ac- 
quainted with  revivals,  are  most  alarmed  at  the  spirit  which 
has  grown  out  of  the  revivals  of  the  West.  This  spirit  has, 
no  doubt,  greatly  deteriorated  by  transportation.  As  we  now 
have  it,  the  great  contest  is  among  professors  of  religion — 
a  civil  war  in  Zion — a  domestic  broil  in  the  household  of  faith. 


240  MEMOIR    OF 

The  friends  of  brother  Finney  are  certainly  doing  him  and 
the  cause  of  Christ  great  mischief.  They  seem  more  anxious 
to  convert  ministers  and  christians  to  their  peculiarities,  than 
to  convert  souls  to  Christ. 

"  It  is  just  such  a  contest  as  I  have  sometimes  seen,  in  its 
incipient  stages,  in  New  England,  between  some  young 
revival  ministers  on  the  one  side,  and  whole  associations  of 
ministers  on  the  other.  The  young  revival  ministers,  wishing 
to  extend  the  work  into  all  the  churches,  in  their  zeal  would 
enter  the  limits  of  settled  pastors,  and  commence  their  opera- 
tions, and  plead  my  own  example  for  all  their  movements  ; 
and  so  the  war  would  begin.  And  all  those  ministers  who 
would  not  yield  the  reins  and  sanction  their  imprudences, 
would  be  sure  to  be  proclaimed  as  enemies  to  revivals.  Being 
thus  defeated,  these  young  ministers  would  come  to  me  to 
make  their  complaints,  and  to  work  on  my  mind  the  convic- 
tion that  all  those  ministers  were  enemies  to  myself;  whereas 
the  whole  evil  lay  in  a  violation  of  all  the  rules  of  ministerial 
order  and  christian  meekness,  or  in  the  inexperience,  igno- 
rance, and  imprudence  of  these  young  ministers.  I  am  sorry 
to  speak  thus  of  my  best  friends  ;  but  it  is  due  to  my  brethren 
to  say,  that  those  very  ministers,  who  had  been  thus  slandered 
by  my  young  brethren,  have  since  come  to  me  with  tears, 
urging  me  to  visit  their  flocks.  There  is  not  one  of  them  but 
would  bid  me  a  welcome,  and  would  rejoice  in  a  revival ;  but 
they  would  not  invite  these  young  ministers  to  preach  for 
them,  who  had  been  so  rash  in  their  proceedings,  and  guilty 
of  slandering  them  as  stupid,  and  dead,  and  enemies  of  revi- 
vals. In  this  manner,  some  of  the  most  promising  young 
revival  ministers  have  run  themselves  out,  and  lost  the  con- 
fidence of  settled  pastors  and  christians  in  general. 

"  The  spirit  of  denunciation  which  has  grown  out  of  these 
western  revivals,  seems  to  be  owing  to  the  implicit  confidence 
which  has  been  placed  in  the  proceedings  of  just  such  young 
ministers  as  leaders.     They  dared  not  attempt  to  correct  any 


DR.    NKTTLETON,  241 

of  their  irregularities,  for  fear  of  doing  mischief,  or  of  being 
denounced  as  enemies  to  revivals.  This  I  know  to  be  the 
fact.  Brother  Finney  himself  has  been  scarcely  three  years 
in  the  ministry,  and  has  had  no  time  to  look  at  consequences. 
He  has  gone,  with  all  the  zeal  of  a  young  convert,  without  a 
friend  to  check  or  guide  him.  And  I  have  no  doubt  that  he 
begins  with  astonishment  to  look  at  the  evils  which  are  run- 
ning before  him. 

"  The  account  which  his  particular  friends  give  of  his  pro- 
ceedings, is,  in  substance,  as  follows  :  He  has  got  ministers 
to  agree  with  him  only  by  '  crushing,'  or  ■  breaking  them 
down.'  The  method  by  which  he  does  it,  is  by  creating  a 
necessity,  by  getting  a  few  individuals  in  a  church  to  join 
him,  and  then  all  those  who  will  not  go  all  lengths  with  him, 
are  denounced  as  enemies  to  revivals  ;  and  rather  than  have 
such  a  bad  name,  one  and  another  falls  in  to  defend  him  ;  and 
then  they  proclaim  what  ministers,  elders,  and  men  of  influ- 
ence, have  been  'crushed'  or  'broken  down.'  This  moral 
influence  being  increased,  others  are  denounced,  in  a  similar 
manner,  as  standing  out,  and  leading  sinners  to  hell.  And  to 
get  rid  of  the  noise,  and  save  himself,  another  will  '  break 
down.'  And  so  they  wax  hotter  and  hotter,  until  the  church 
is  fairly  split  in  twain.  And  now,  as  for  those  elders  and 
christians,  who  have  thus  been  converted  to  these  measures  ; 
some  of  them  are  sending  out  private  word  to  their  christian 
friends  abroad,  as  follows  ;  '  I  have  been  fairly  skiiuicd  by  the 
denunciations  of  these  men,  and  have  ceased  to  oppose  them, 
to  get  rid  of  their  noise.  But  I  warn  you  not  to  introduce 
this  spirit  into  your  church  and  society.'  And  so,  brother 
Finney's  supposed  friends,  men  of  influence,  are  sending  out 
word  to  warn  others  to  beware  of  the  evils  which  they  have 
experienced.  I  heartily  pity  brother  Finney,  for  I  believe  him 
to  be  a  good  man,  and  wishing  to  do  good.  But  nobody  dares 
tell  him  that  a  train  of  causes  is  set  in  operation,  and  urged 
on  by  his  own  friends,  which  is  likely  to  ruin  his  usefulness. 
21 


242 


MEMOIR    OF 


"  Whoever  has  made  himself  acquainted  with  the  state  of 
things  in  New  England,  near  the  close  of  the  revival  in  the 
days  of  Whitefield  and  Edwards,  cannot  but  weep  over  its 
likeness  to  the  present.  It  is  affecting,  that  the  warm  friends 
of  Zion  should  unwittingly  betray  her  best  interests.  But  so 
was  it  then.  The  young  itinerants,  in  their  zeal  to  extend 
the  work,  began  to  denounce  all  those  settled  ministers  who 
would  not  go  all  lengths  with  them.  And  then  those  mem- 
bers of  churches  who  loved  their  pastors  would  assemble 
around  to  defend  them  ;  while  those  who  favored  the  itine- 
rants assembled  around  them,  and  imbibing  their  spirit,  of 
course  lost  all  confidence  in  a  settled  ministry  :  and  so  the 
churches  were  split  in  twain.  The  Spirit  of  God  took  its 
flight,  and  darkness  and  discord  reigned  for  half  a  century. 
And  those  preachers  who  had  taken  the  lead,  having  cultiva- 
ted such  a  spirit,  began  to  fall  into  awful  darkness  themselves, 
when  they  saw  the  ruin  that  followed  their  labors.  Some  of 
them  made  and  published  their  recantations  to  the  world, 
which  are  now  extant.  But  it  was  too  late.  A  retribution 
followed.  Some  few  of  the  young  converts  were  called  to 
order  by  David  Brainerd,  who  passed  through  Connecticut  at 
that  time.  But  after  their  recantations,  these  leaders  were 
generally  denounced  by  their  own  followers.  Could  White- 
field,  and  Edwards,  and  Brainerd,  and  Davenport,  now  arise 
from  the  dead,  I  have  no  doubt  they  would  exclaim,  '  young 
men,  beware  !  beware  !'■■•*  * 

"  Some  of  brother  Finney's  younger  brethren  and  friends 
may  attempt  to  work  on  his  mind  the  conviction  that  most  of 
our  ministers  and  churches  are  enemies  to  revivals,  and  un- 
friendly to  himself.  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  speak  in  their  behalf. 
I  know  it  to  be  a  mistake.  The  best  friends  of  revivals,  as 
they  have  heretofore  witnessed  them,  are  certainly  the  most 
afraid  to  invite  him  into  their  churches,  and  are  the  most 
alarmed  at  the  evils  that  are  rising.      And,  I  must  say,  that 


DR.     NETTLE  TON.  243 

his  friends  are  certainly  laboring  to  introduce  those  very- 
measures,  which  I  have  ever  regarded  as  ultimately  working 
ruin  to  our  churches ;  and  against  which  I  have  always 
guarded  as  ruinous  to  the  character  of  revivals,  as  well  as  to 
my  own  usefulness. 

"  For  example  :  whoever  introduces  the  practice  of  females 
praying  in  promiscuous  assemblies,  let  the  practice  once  be- 
come general,  will  ere  long  rind,  to  his  sorrow,  that  he  has 
made  an  inlet  to  other  denominations,  and  entailed  an  ever- 
lasting quarrel  on  those  churches  generally.  If  settled  pas- 
tors choose  to  do  it  on  their  own  responsibility,  so  be  it. 
For  one,  I  dare  not  assume  so  great  a  responsibility.  In  this 
way  churches  were  once  laid  waste.  And  it  is  by  keeping 
out,  and  carefully  avoiding  every  thing  of  this  kind,  that  some 
of  them  have  again  been  built,  others  kept  orderly,  and  the 
character  of  revivals,  for  thirty  years  past,  has  been  guarded. 
If  the  evil  be  not  soon  prevented,  a  generation  will  arise, 
inheriting  all  the  obliquities  of  their  leaders,  not  knowing  that 
a  revival  ever  did  or  can  exist,  without  all  those  evils.  And 
these  evils  are  destined  to  be  propagated  from  generation  to 
generation,  waxing  worse  and  worse. 

"  The  friends  of  brother  Finney  are  afraid  to  interfere  to 
correct  any  thing,  lest  they  should  do  mischief,  or  be  de- 
nounced as  enemies  of  revivals.  '  Brother  Nettleton,  do 
come  into  this  region  and  help  us  ;  for  many  things  are 
becoming  current  among  us  which  I  cannot  approve.  And  I 
can  do  nothing  to  correct  them,  but  I  am  immediately  shamed 
out  of  it,  by  being  denounced  as  an  enemy  to  revivals.'  Thus 
my  ministerial  brethren  from  the  West,  whose  views  accord 
with  my  own,  have  been  calling  to  me,  in  their  letters  during 
the  summer  past.  '  There  is  religion  in  it,  and  I  dare  not 
touch  it.  I  see  the  evil,  and  tremble  at  the  consequences ; 
but  what  can  I  do  V  This  is  the  language  of  many  of  his 
warmest  friends.  And  so  the  bad  must  all  be  defended  with 
the  good.     This  sentiment  adopted,  will  certainly  ruin  revivals. 


244  MEMOIR    OF 

It  is  the  language  of  a  novice  :  it  is  just  as  the  devil  would 
have  it.  If  the  friends  of  revivals  dare  not  correct  their  own 
faults,  who  will  do  it  for  them  ?  I  know  no  such  policy.  I 
would  no  more  dare  defend  in  the  gross,  than  condemn  in  the 
gross.  And  those  who  adopt  the  former  practice,  will  soon 
be  compelled  by  prevailing  corruptions,  to  take  along  with  it 
the  latter.  The  character  of  revivals  is  to  be  sustained  on 
the  same  principles  as  that  of  churches,  or  individual  chris- 
tians. If  we  would  judge  ourselves,  we  should  not  be  judged. 
It  is  not  by  covering,  but  by  confessing  and  forsaking,  that 
pure  revivals  are  to  prosper.  In  this  manner  their  character 
has  long  been  sustained.  Things  have  not  been  left  to  run 
to  such  lengths  in  our  day.  A  strong  hand  has  been  laid  on 
young  converts,  old  professors,  and  especially  on  zealous 
young  ministers,  as  many  of  them  now  living  can  testify.  I 
have  been  afraid  to  kindle  fires  where  there  was  not  some 
spiritual  watchman  near,  to  guard  and  watch  against  wildness, 
for  which  I  might  become  responsible.  Some  students  in 
divinity  have  caught  and  carried  the  flame  into  neighboring 
towns  and  villages,  and  no  doubt  have  been  the  means  of  the 
salvation  of  some  souls.  But  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  some  of 
them  have  run  before  me  into  the  most  populous  places,  and 
have  carried  their  measures  so  far,  and  have  become  so  dicta- 
torial and  assuming,  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  most  judicious 
and  influential  ministers  of  my  acquaintance,  they  have  done 
far  more  mischief  than  good.  They  have  pleaded  my  exam- 
ple for  many  measures,  which,  as  to  time  and  circumstances, 
I  utterly  condemn.  Some  of  the  means  which  I  have  never 
dared  to  employ  except  in  the  most  interesting  crisis  of  a 
powerful  revival,  they  have  caricatured  in  such  a  manner, 
and  raised  such  prejudices  against  myself  among  strangers, 
that  they  have  caused  me  much  trouble.  My  plans  have 
been  laid  to  visit  many  towns  and  cities,  and  have  been 
wholly  defeated  by  these  students  in  divinity  thus  running 
before  me.     I  have  been  much  grieved,  and  exceedingly  per- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  245 

plexed  on  this  subject.  They  assume  an  authority,  unwit- 
tingly I  allow,  and  adopt  measures,  which  no  ordained  minis- 
ter could  do,  without  ruining  his  usefulness.  Evils  arising 
hence,  have  uniformly  been  arrested  in  their  progress,  by  my 
taking  the  part  of  settled  pastors  among  their  flocks  ;  at  a 
great  expense  of  feeling,  on  the  part  of  my  young  friends,  no 
doubt ;  but  the  cause  of  revivals  evidently  required  it. 

"  I  have  been  anxiously  looking  and  waiting,  all  summer 
long,  for  such  men  as  yourself  and  Mr.  Lansing,  and  others 
most  intimately  acquainted  with  brother  Finney,  to  take  hold, 
with  a  kind  severity,  and  restore  order  ;  but  in  vain.  It  is  not 
expected  that  a  powerful  revival  can  exist  among  imperfect 
beings,  without  more  or  less  irregularity  and  opposition  ;  but 
it  is  expected  that  these  things  will  generally  subside,  and 
leave  the  churches  in  a  more  peaceful,  happy,  and  flourishing 
state  than  ever.  This  has  uniformly  been  the  case,  where 
revivals  have  prevailed.  But  irregularities  are  prevailing  so 
fast,  and  assuming  such  a  character,  in  our  churches,  as  infi- 
nitely to  overbalance  the  good  that  is  left.  These  evils, 
sooner  or  later,  must  be  corrected.  Somebody  must  speak,  or 
silence  will  prove  our  ruin.  Fire  is  an  excellent  thing  in  its 
place,  and  I  am  not  afraid  to  see  it  blaze  among  briers  and 
thorns  ;  but  when  I  see  it  kindling  where  it  will  ruin  fences, 
and  gardens,  and  houses,  and  burn  up  my  friends,  I  cannot  be 
silent. 

"  Had  the  evil  been  checked  in  the  commencement,  it  would 
have  been  an  act  of  kindness  to  brother  Finney,  and  great 
gain  to  the  cause  of  revivals.  He  would  have  found  ministers 
every  where  bidding  him  welcome.  His  help  is  everywhere 
greatly  needed.  For  a  settled  pastor,  the  entire  confidence 
of  other  ministers  would  not  be  so  important.  But,  whoever 
undertakes  to  promote  revivals,  by  running  through  the  world, 
in  this  age  of  revivals,  must  have  the  entire  confidence  of  set- 
tled ministers  generally  ;  otherwise  he  will  unsettle  ministers, 
and  desolate  churches,  wherever  he  goes.  Without  their 
21* 


246  M  E  M  0  I  R    '  ■'  1" 

hearty  co-operation,  lie  will  certainly  labor  at  great  disadvan- 
tage :  as  if  a  mariner,  steering  his  ship  in  a  storm  at  sea, 
in  his  zeal  should  quit  the  helm,  and  ply  his  strength  at  the 
mast. 

"  The  practice  of  praying  for  people  by  name,  in  the  closet, 
and  the  social  circle,  has  no  doubt  had  a  beneficial  effect. 
But,  as  it  now  exists  in  many  places,  it  has  become,  in  the 
eye  of  the  christian  community  at  large,  an  engine  of  public 
slander  in  its  worst  form.  I  should  not  dare,  in  this  solemn 
manner,  to  arraign  a  fellow-sinner  before  a  public  assembly, 
without  his  own  particular  request,  unless  my  expressions 
were  of  the  most  conciliatory  kind.  And  no  christian  minis- 
ter, whatever  his  character  may  be,  can  adopt  the  practice, 
without  awakening  the  indignation  of  the  world  at  large,  and 
of  christians  generally,  against  him.  Much  less  can  it  be 
done  by  any  body,  and  every  body,  who  takes  it  into  his  head 
positively  to  decide  the  question,  and  to  tell  God  and  the 
world,  that  such  and  such  persons  are  unconverted.  I  do  not 
believe,  whatever  may  be  the  effect  upon  the  individual  thus 
named,  that  God  will  regard  such  a  prayer  in  any  other  light 
than  as  that  of  a  proud,  self-righteous  Pharisee. 

"  There  is  another  interesting  topic  that  lies  near  my  heart ; 
but  the  time  would  fail  me  to  express  my  views  and  feelings 
on  the  subject.  That  holy,  humble,  meek,  modest,  retiring 
form,  sometimes  called  the  Spirit  of  Prayer,  and  which  I  have 
ever  regarded  as  the  unfailing  precursor  of  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion, has  been  dragged  from  her  closet,  and  so  rudely  handled 
by  some  of  her  professed  friends,  that  she  has  not  only  lost  all 
her  wonted  loveliness,  but  is  now  stalking  the  streets  in  some 
places  stark  mad. 

"  Some,  in  their  zeal  on  the  subject  of  the  prayer  of  faith, 
are  tormenting  others  with  their  peculiar  sentiments,  which,  if 
correct,  every  body  sees  must  equally  condemn  themselves  ; 
thus  rendering  themselves  and  their  sentiments  perfectly 
ridiculous. 


D  R  .    N  BTT  E  ET  o  N.  247 

11 1  have  given  you  but  an  imperfect  sketch  of  my  own  and 
the  views  of  our  brethren  abroad  on  this  subject ;  but  I  assure 
you,  as  a  whole,  it  is  not  overdrawn.  How  to  correct  these 
growing  evils  I  cannot  tell.  Our  brethren,  far  and  near,  some 
of  brother  Finney's  best  friends  at  the  West  not  excepted,  by 
letter  and  otherwise,  have  long  been  urging  me  to  lay  the  sub- 
ject fully  before  him.  The  evils  which  have  existed  abroad 
have  certainly  been  very  much  concealed  from  him  and  his 
friends.  It  is  certainly  right  that  he  should  know  something 
of  the  evils  which  have  run  from  under  him  ;  and  the  feelings 
of  the  friends  of  Zion  at  large.  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  him 
in  the  style  of  crimination  or  controversy.  I  have  been  too 
long  on  the  field  of  battle  to  be  frightened  about  little  things, 
or  to  make  a  man  an  offender  for  a  word.  For  Zion's  sake,  I 
wish  to  save  brother  Finney  from  a  course  which  I  am  con- 
fident will  greatly  retard  his  usefulness  before  he  knows  it. 
It  is  no  reflection  on  his  talents  or  piety,  that,  in  his  zeal  to 
save  souls,  he  should  adopt  every  measure  which  promises 
present  success,  regardless  of  consequences  ;  nor,  after  a  fail- 
experiment  in  so  noble  a  cause,  to  say,  I  have  pushed  some 
things  beyond  what  they  will  bear.  The  most  useful  lessons 
are  learned  by  experience. 

"  I  wish  I  had  health  and  strength  to  show  brother  Finney 
my  whole  heart  on  this  subject.  I  have  long  been  wishing  to 
correct  some  of  his  peculiarities,  that  I  might  invite  him  into 
my  own  field  and  introduce  him  to  my  friends.  Aside  from 
feeble  health,  one  consideration  only  has  prevented  me  from 
making  the  attempt.  Some  of  his  particular  friends  are  urg- 
ing him  on  to  the  very  things  which  I  wish  him  to  drop.  I 
fear  that  their  flattering  representations  will  overrule  all  that 
I  can  say.  And  having  dropped  these  peculiarities,  his  labors 
for  a  while  might  be  less  successful ;  and  then  he  would 
resort  again  to  the  same  experiment.  But  I  can  inform  him, 
that  the  same  measures  which  he  has  adopted,  have  been  vig- 
orously and  obstinately  pursued  in  New  England,  against  the 


248  MEMOIR     OF 

repeated  advice  of  settled  pastors,  and  that  too,  by  one  of  the 
most  powerful  and  successful  ministers  that  I  have  ever 
known,  until  confident  of  his  own  strength,  he  quit  them  all, 
with  this  expression,  '  We  will  see  who  will  answer  by  fire' — 
a  most  unhappy  expression,  as  he  afterwards  told  me  with 
tears.  The  result  was,  he  lost  his  usefulness  in  our  denom- 
ination. Some  of  his  spiritual  children,  now  excellent  men  in 
the  ministry,  have  never  dared  to  adopt  his  measures,  but  have 
uniformly  opposed  them.  Others,  some  ministers  and  laymen, 
who  followed  him,  became  disorganizers ;  and  the  leader 
himself  turned  Baptist,  and  soon  after  died. 

There  is  another  method  of  conducting  revivals,  which 
may  avoid  these  difficulties.  Settled  pastors  occupy  nearly 
the  whole  field  of  operation.  They  have,  and  ought  to  have, 
the  entire  management  in  their  own  congregation.  Each  one 
has  a  right  to  pursue  his  own  measures,  within  his  own  limits  ; 
and  no  itinerant  has  any  business  to  interfere  or  dictate.  It 
will  ever  be  regarded  as  intermeddling  in  other  men's  matters. 
If  they  do  not  choose  to  invite  me  into  their  field,  my  business 
is  meekly  and  silently  to  retire.  And  I  have  no  right  to  com- 
plain. But  many  young  men  are  continually  violating  the 
rules  of  ministerial  order  and  christian  propriety  in  these 
respects.  Impatient  to  see  the  temple  rise,  they  are  now 
doing  that,  which,  it  appears  to  me,  will  tend  ultimately,  more 
than  any  thing  else,  to  defeat  the  end  which  they  wish  to  ac- 
complish. They  are  now  pulling  down,  in  many  places,  the 
very  things  which  I  have  been  helping  ministers  to  build  up  ; 
and  for  which  I  have  often  received  their  warmest  thanks. 
It  is  a  sentiment  which  I  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  repeat 
to  my  young  brethren  in  the  ministry,  '  Better  forego  the  pros- 
pect of  much  present  good,  in  your  own  opinion,  than  to  lose 
the  confidence  of  settled  ministers,  without  which  you  cannot 
be  long  and  extensively  useful.' 

"  There  is,  certainly,  another  and  a  lawful  point  of  attack 
on  the  kingdom  of  darkness,  which,  when  you  have  taken,  and 


DK,    NETTLETO.\.  249 

it  is  seen,  possesses  wonderful  advantages.  It  will  give  no 
offence  to  the  church  of  God.  It  will  be  sure  to  rally  around 
you  every  faithful  soldier  of  the  cross.  Though  it  may  seem 
too  slow  and  silent  in  its  operation,  yet,  being  the  lawful 
method  of  conducting  this  warfare,  it  will  secure  the  conful< 
of  ministers  and  christians,  the  consciences  of  the  wicked,  and 
a  crown  of  glory. 

"  And  now,  brother,  I  have  ventured  to  lay  before  you  the 
subject  of  my  prayers  and  tears,  and  I  may  add,  the  subject 
which  brought  me  back  to  a  region  which  I  never  expected  to 
visit  again.  If  you  discover  any  thing  in  this  communication 
unchristian  or  unkind,  you  will  pardon  it.  If,  in  your  opin- 
ion, it  can  do  no  mischief,  or  will  do  any  possible  good,  you 
are  at  full  liberty  to  show  it  to  brother  Finney,  or  any  of 
the  friends  of  Zion  whom  it  may  concern.  We  will  lay  the 
subject  at  the  feet  of  our  Divine  Master,  and  there   will  we 

leave  it. 

Yours,  in  the  best  of  bonds." 

The  letter  from  which  the  foregoing  extracts  are  taken,  with 
some  other  documents,  was  published  in  a  pamphlet  in  1828. 
In  a  note  appended  to  it,  Dr.  Nettleton  says — 

"  The  above  letter  was  written  sometime  last  December, 
immediately  after  a  second  interview  with  Mr.  Finney.  From 
personal  conversation  with  himself,  but  more  particularly  with 
his  friends,  I  learned  that  they  had  adopted  and  defended 
measures  which  I  have  ever  regarded  as  exceedingly  calam- 
itous to  the  cause  of  revivals. 

"  This  letter  was  written  originally  as  an  expression  of  my 
own  views,  and  the  views  of  my  brethren  generally,  on  this 
subject,  without  intending  to  send  it  to  anyone.  As  my  opin- 
ion was  repeatedly  solicited  on  this  subject,  by  the  friends  of 
Mr.  F.,  I  thought  it  best  to  give  it  in  writing.  Accordingly, 
this  letter  was  read  at  different  times,  to  not  less  than  twenty 
ministers,  and  to  some  who  had  adopted  the  measures  in  ques- 
tion.    In  this  silent  manner,  I  labored  for  a  number  of  weeks, 


250  MEMOIR    OF 

hoping  to  persuade  the  latter  to  drop  them  ;  but  to  my  surprise 
I  found  that  my  own  name  was  continually  employed  to  give 
them  sanction  ;  nor  was  it  in  my  power  to  prevent  this  perver- 
sion, without  publishing  my  views  to  the  world. 

"  As  preparatory  to  publishing,  and  to  cut  off  occasion  for 
after  complaints,  it  was  thought  best  that  I  should  delay  no 
longer  sending  a  communication  to  some  one  or  more  of  our 
brethren  i-n  the  Oneida  Presbytery.  The  above  '  document' 
is  one,  and  only  a  small  part  of  what  I  have  written  to  the 
members  of  that  body.  What  I  have  done  in  laying  the  sub- 
ject before  them,  was  not  done  without  the  knowledge  and 
approbation  of  the  watchmen  of  Israel,  the  long,  the  tried,  the 
acknowledged  friends  of  Zion." 

The  letter,  although  addressed  to  Mr.  Aikin,  was  intended 
for  the  perusal  of  Mr.  Finney  and  his  friends.  Soon  after  it 
was  received,  Mr.  Finney  prepared  and  preached  at  Utica,  a 
sermon  on  the  text,  "  How  can  two  walk  together  except  they 
be  agreed."  This  sermon  was  understood  to  be  a  vindication 
of  the  things  complained  of  in  Dr.  Nettleton's  letter.  It  was 
afterwards  preached  in  Troy  and  published.  Dr.  Nettleton 
made  some  remarks  on  this  sermon,  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Spring,  of  New  York,  which  was  first  published 
in  the  New  York  Observer,  and  afterwards  in  the  above-men- 
tioned pamphlet.     I  make  the  following  extracts. 

"  Durham,  N.  Y.,  May  4th,  1827. 
"  My  Dear  Brother, 

"  I  have  read  brother  Finney's  sermon,  from  the  words, 
1  How  can  two  walk  together  except  they  be  agreed  ? '  The 
principle,  on  which  it.  rests,  is  contained  in  the  following 
sentences  : 

"  '  If  any  thing  even<  upon  the  same  subject,  that  is  far  above 
or  below  our  tone  of  feeling,  is  presented  ;  and  if  our  affec- 
tions remain  the  same,  and  refuse  to  be  enlisted  and  brought 
to  that  point,  we  must  feel  uninterested,  and  perhaps  grieved 


DR.    NETTLETON.  251 

and  offended.  If  the  subject  be  exhibited  in  a  light  that  is 
below  our  present  tone  of  feelings,  we  cannot  be  interested 
till  it  come  up  to  our  feelings.  If  this  does  not  take  place,  we 
necessarily  remain  uninterested.  If  the  subject  be  presented 
in  a  manner  that  is  far  above  oui  tone  of  feeling,  and  our  affec- 
tions grovel,  and  refuse  to  rise,  it  does  not  fall  in  with,  and 
feed  our  affections  ;  therefore  we  cannot  be  interested  ;  it  is 
enthusiasm  to  us,  we  are  displeased  with  the  warmth  in  which 
our  affections  refuse  to  participate  ;  and  the  farther  it  is  above 
our  temperature,  the  more  are  we  disgusted.  These  are 
truths  to  which  the  experience  of  every  man  will  testify,  as 
they  hold  good  upon  every  subject,  and  under  all  circumstan- 
ces, and  are  founded  upon  principles  that  are  incorporated 
-with  the  very  nature  of  man.' 

."  Now  all  this,  so  far  as  christians  and  true  religion  are  con- 
cerned, I  take  to  be  false  in  theory,  contrary  to  fact,  and  dan- 
gerous in  its  consequences.  Present  to  the  mind  of  the 
christian,  whose  holiness  and  flaming  zeal,  shall  equal  that  of 
Paul,  the  least  degree  of  holiness  in  any  saint,  and  he  will  not 
be  offended,  but  interested.  He  would  be  greatly  delighted 
with  even  '  babes  in  Christ.'  And  the  higher  the  tone  of  his 
piety  and  holy  feeling,  the  greater  will  be  his  delight,  even 
1  upon  the  same  subject.'  Now,  raise  the  tone  of  pious  feeling 
up  to  that  of  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  holy 
angels,  and  still  they  will  not  lose  their  interest,  *  even  upon 
the  same  subject.'  They  will  rejoice  even  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth,  far  more  than  will  those  whose  feelings  fall  to 
the  level  of  the  penitent  himself. 

's  Nor  is  it  true  that  christians  are  always  better  pleased 
with  those,  whose  tone  of  feeling  is  on  a  level  with  their  own. 
The  least  saint  on  earth  loves  holiness  in  others,  and  rejoices 
in  their  growth  in  grace.  And  he  loves  those  most,  whose 
tone  of  holy  feeling  is  raised  farthest  above  him ;  and  for  the 
same  reason,  he  loves  the  Saviour  more  than  all.  Every  child 
of  God,  who  reads  his  bible,  is  better  pleased  with  the  high 


252  MEMOIR    OF 

toned  piety  of  Job,  and  Daniel,  and  David,  and  Isaiah,  and 
Paul,  than  he  is  with  that  of  other  saints,  whose  piety  falls 
below  theirs,  or  to  the  level  of  his  own.  What  christian  can 
read  the  memoirs  of  Edwards  and  Brainerd,  without  deep 
interest  ?  I  know  of  no  christian  that  does  not  read  them 
with  far  greater  interest  than  he  would  have  done,  had  they 
exhibited  far  less  of  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  And  though 
christians  feel  condemned,  by  their  high-toned  piety,  yet  for 
this  very  reason,  they  are  not '  offended  and  grieved,'  but  love 
them  the  more.  Though  christians  are  not  up  to  the  tone  of 
piety  exhibited  by  David  and  Paul,  Edwards  and  Brainerd, 
yet  they  are  highly  delighted,  and  could  walk  together  with 
them. 

"  Again,  take  the  example  of  our  Saviour.  No  christian 
on  earth  is  better  pleased  with  any  other.  Though  many  of 
his  friends  have  died  and  gone  to  heaven,  whom  he  still  loves, 
yet  the  Christian  can  say,  '  whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee, 
and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  beside  thee.'  The 
tone  of  the  Saviour's  pious  and  holy  feeling  is  raised  far  above 
that  of  all  his  followers.  Hence,  according  to  the  sentiment 
of  the  sermon,  he  could  have  had  no  followers  on  earth,  and 
can  have  none  now.  All  his  disciples  must  have  been  '  dis- 
pleased with  his  warmth.'  And  the  higher  it  rose  '  above  their 
temperature,  the  more  they  must  have  been  disgusted.'' 

"  Present  to  the  mind  of  the  christian  the  holy  character  of 
God.  Is  not  this  subject  far  above  the  tone  of  the  feelings  of 
any  man  ?  Now  according  to  the  sentiment  of  the  sermon,  if 
our  affections  are  not  brought  to  that  point,  we  must  feel  '  un- 
interested, grieved  and  offended.'  According  to  the  principle 
of  his  own  sermon,  brother  Finney  and  his  friends  cannot 
walk  with  God,  for  they  are  not  agreed.  It  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, that  God  has  an  infinitely  higher  tone  and  degree 
of  holy  feeling  than  brother  Finney.  He  is  not  'up  to  it.' 
Consequently,  on  his  own  principles,  they  cannot  be  agreed. 
God  is  displeased  with  him,  and  he  with  God.     Brother  Fin- 


DR.      NETTLETON.  253 

ney  must  '  necessarily1  be  displeased  with  high  and  holy  zeal 
in  his  Maker,  which  so  infinitely  transcends  his  own  ;  and  the 
'  farther  it  is  above  his  temperature,  the  more  he  will  be  dis- 
gusted.' '  These  are  truths,'  he  observes,  '  to  which  the 
experience  of  every  man  will  testify,  as  they  hold  good  upon 
every  subject,  and  under  all  circumstances,  and  are  founded 
upon  principles  that  are  incorporated  with  the  very  nature  of 
man.'  ********* 

"  The  sermon  in  question  entirely  overlooks  the  nature  of 
true  religion.  It  says  not  one  word  by  which  we  can  distin- 
guish between  true  and  false  zeal,  true  and  false  religion.  .If 
the  tone  of  feeling  can  only  be  raised  to  a  certain  pitch,  then 
all  is  well.  The  self-righteous,  the  hypocrite,  and  all  who  are 
inflated  with  pride,  will  certainly  be  flattered  and  pleased  with 
such  an  exhibition  ;  especially  if  they  are  very  self-righteous 
and  very  proud.  False  affections  often  rise  far  higher  than 
those  that  are  genuine  ;  and  this  every  preacher,  in  seasons 
of  revival,  has  had  occasion  to  observe  and  correct.  And  the 
reason  of  their  great  height  is  obvious.  There  are  no  salutary 
checks  of  conscience,  no  holy,  humble  exercises  to  counter- 
act them  in  their  flight.  And  they  court  observation.  ■  A 
pharisee's  trumpet  shall  be  heard  to  the  town's  end,  when 
simplicity  walks  through  the  town  unseen.'  If  the  preacher 
is  not  extremely  careful  to  distinguish  between  true  and  false 
affections,  the  devil  will  certainly  come  in  and  overset  the 
work,  and  bring  it  into  disgrace.  False  zeal  and  overgrown 
spiritual  pride,  will  rise  up  and  take  the  management,  and  con- 
demn meekness  and  humility,  and  trample  upon  all  the  christian 
graces,  because  they  are  not  '  up  to  it.' 

"  Matters  of  fact  which  have  passed  under  my  own  obser- 
vation, might  serve  as  illustration.  I  have  often  seen  it ;  and 
the  preacher  who  has  not  been  tried  with  this  subject,  and 
learned  to  correct  it,  has  not  got  his  first  lesson. 

"  Leaving  out  of  the  question  the  nature  of  true  religion,  as 
brother  Finney  has  done  out  of  his  sermon,  there  is  a  sense  in 
22 


254  MEMOIR     OF 

which  his  theory  perfectly  accords  with  experience  and  mat- 
ters of  fact.  So  far  as  false  zeal  and  false  affections  are  con- 
cerned, the  principle  of  the  sermon  is  correct.  A  and  B  are 
very  zealous,  and  extremely  self-righteous  ;  and  being  equally 
so,  they  can  walk  together,  for  they  are  agreed.  Both  having 
come  up  to  the  same  tone  of  feeling  with  brother  Finney  in 
his  sermon  ; — now  they  are  all  agreed,  and  all  pleased,  having 
done  all  that  the  preacher  required.  Now  the  zeal  of  A 
'  strikes  far  above  the  tone  of  feeling'  in  his  fellow,  and  both 
are  '  displeased,  grieved,  and  offended.'  B  does  not  come  to 
the  tone  of  A  and  '  therefore  he  cannot  be  interested  ;  it  is  en- 
thusiasm— he  is  displeased  with  the  warmth  in  which  his 
affections  refuse  to  participate  ;  and  the  farther  it  is  above  his 
temperature,  the  more  he  is  disgusted.'  The  christian  and  the 
hypocrite  may  come  up  to  the  same  tone  of  feeling ;  and  yet 
they  cannot  walk  together,  for  other  reasons.  The  character 
of  their  affections  differs  as  widely  as  light  and  darkness. 
And  the  higher  their  affections  rise,  the  wider  the  distance 
between  them.  And  no  tone  or  degree  of  feeling  can  possibly 
bring  them  together.  Every  effort  of  the  preacher  to  unite 
them  by  raising  the  tone  of  feeling,  will  only  increase  the 
difficulty.  This,  too,  accords  with  experience  and  matters  of 
fact.  Hence,  those  who  adopt  the  same  creed,  and  belong  to 
the  same  communion,  can  have  no  fellowship.  Though  they 
are  up  to  the  same  tone  of  feeling,  and  feel  deeply,  yet  they 
cannot  walk  together,  for  they  do  not  feel  alike.  Feelings 
which  are  not  founded  on  correct  theology  cannot  be  right. 
They  must  necessarily  be  spurious,  or  merely  animal. 

"  Without  great  care  and  close  discrimination,  the  preacher 
will  unwittingly  justify  all  the  quarrels  and  divisions  in  our 
churches.  The  church  at  Corinth  valued  themselves  on  their 
great  spirituality,  and  high  attainments  in  religion.  Now  on 
the  principle  of  the  sermon  in  question,  their  divisions  and 
quarrels  could  be  no  evidence  to  the  contrary,  but  much  in 
their  favor.     Each  one  esteeming  others  worse  than  himself, 


DR.     NETTLETON.  255 

would  conclude  that  the  whole  difficulty  lay  in  their  not  com- 
ing up  to  the  tone  of  his  own  feelings.  And  this  sermon 
would  have  confirmed  them  all  in  their  good  opinion  of  them- 
selves. But  Paul  told  them  that  the  very  contrary  was  true. 
'  For  whereas  there  is  among  you  envying,  and  strife,  and 
divisions,  are  ye  not  carnal,  and  walk  as  men.'  Without  the 
same  care,  the  preacher  will  condemn  others  for  keeping  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace  ;  and  for  '  being  of  one 
accord  and  of  one  mind.'  That  peace,  and  harmony,  and  order, 
in  which  Paul  so  much  rejoiced,  will  be  disturbed,  and  broken, 
and  trampled  upon,  by  disorganizing  spiritual  pride,  under  a 
pretence  that  all  are  '  cold,  and  carnal,  and  stupid,  and  dead, 
and  not  up  to  the  spirit  of  the  times.'  All  who  are  thus  infla- 
ted, will  take  the  advantage  of  this  sermon,  and  be  sure  to  con- 
strue all  opposition  to  their  own  disorganizing  movements  and 
measures,  into  an  evidence  of  superior  piety  in  themselves. 
And  all  false  converts,  and  others  inflated  with  spiritual  pride, 
will  join  them,  if  great  care  be  not  taken  to  discriminate  be- 
tween true  and  false  zeal,  and  to  give  the  distinguishing  marks 
of  both.  Spiritual  pride  will  often  court  opposition,  and  glory 
in  it,  and  sometimes  adopt  the  sentiment,  '  The  more  opposi- 
tion the  better.'         ******* 

"  All  who  are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  facts  on  the 
subject,  know  that  it  was  on  the  principles  of  the  sermon  in 
question,  that  the  revival  was  run  out  in  the  time  of  Edwards, 
and  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  rising  of  twenty  years  since. 
And  all  those  ministers  who  do  not  discriminate  between  true 
and  false  zeal,  true  and  false  affections,  in  their  preaching  and 
conversation,  and  make  that  difference,  and  hold  it  up  to  t1  e 
view  of  the  world,  if  possible,  clear  as  the  sun,  heartily 
approving  of  the  one,  and  as  heartily  and  publicly  condemning 
the  other,  will  turn  out  to  be  the  greatest  traitors  to  the  cause 
of  revivals.  They  become  responsible  not  only  for  the  senti- 
ment in  question,  but  also  for  all  the  corruptions  which  prevail 
in  consequence  of  this  neglect.     The  neglect  of  ministers  to 


256  MEMOIR     or 

correct  these  evils  for  fear  of  doing  mischief,  or  of  being 
denounced  as  carnal  and  cold-hearted,  or  as  enemies  to  revi- 
vals, is  extremely  puerile  and  wicked.  On  the  same  principle 
they  must  not  attempt  to  correct  intemperance  and  profane 
swearing  in  church  members,  lest  they  should  be  ranked 
among  the  wicked,  as  infidels  and  enemies  to  Christianity. 
The  sentiment  in  question  would,  if  carried  out  into  all  its 
consequences,  defend  every  abomination  in  religion  that  could 
be  named.  It  would  soon  come  to  this  :  that  the  only  evidence 
that  ministers  are  cold,  and  carnal,  and  stupid,  and  dead,  is, 
that  they  cannot  approve  of  every  art,  and  trick,  and  abomina- 
ble practice  in  laymen,  women,  and  children,  in  their  attempts 
to  promote  a  revival.  And  their  approbation  of  all  these 
abominations  would  be  taken  as  a  good  sign,  and  as  an  evi- 
dence that  they  are  awake.  Whereas  none  but  carnal  and 
cold-hearted  ministers  would  be  influenced  by  such  mean 
motives.  It  is  only  a  trick  of  the  devil,  to  frighten  the  watch- 
man of  Israel  from  his  post,  that  he  may  get  possession  of  it 
himself ;  or,  what  he  would  like  still  better,  by  such  base 
motives  to  entoil  and  enlist  him  in  his  service,  by  compelling 
him  to  adopt  his  own  measures.  So  did  not  Paul.  His  two 
epistles  to  the  Corinthians  contain  little  else  than  a  humbling 
disclosure  of  abominable  practices  and  quarrels  about  men 
and  measures  in  promoting  a  revival.  So  did  not  Edwards. 
Though  he  was  denounced  at  first,  he  could  not  be  frightened  ; 
but  frightened  his  denouncers,  some  of  them  at  least,  into  a 
public  recantation.  A  denouncing  spirit  is  that  with  which 
real  christians  have  no  fellowship,  and  are  bound  to  shun. 

"  Without  regard  to  the  admonition,  '  take  heed  to  thyself,' 
the  preacher  will  be  in  danger  of  trampling  upon  the  divine 
direction,  '  In  meekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  them- 
selves.' 

" '  The  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive,  but  be  gentle 
unto  all  men.'  '  Be  kindly  aftectioned,  be  pitiful,  be  cour- 
teous.'   He  will  be  in  great  danger  of  condemning  the  '  meek- 


DR.     NETTLETON  257 

ness  and  gentleness  of  Christ,'  under  the  names  of  '  carnal 
policy'  and  '  hypocritical  suavity  of  manner.'  The  preacher 
should  be  extremely  cautious  what  he  says  against  '  wisdom 
and  prudence,'  as  a  mark  of  '  puffing  up'  in  his  brethren  ;  lest 
he  trample  upon  the  authority  of  his  Divine  Master,  in  the 
precept  given  him  upon  the  same  point :  — '  Behold  I  send 
you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves  :  be  ye  therefore 
wise  as  serpents  and  harmless  as  doves.'  His  precept  is 
founded  on  the  fact  that  wicked  men  may  become  more 
offended  with  what  is  wrong  in  manner,  than  with  what  is  right 
in  matter.  Hence  the  preacher  may  lose  their  consciences, 
and  the  devil  has  gained  the  victory.  If  the  wicked  will 
oppose,  it  becomes  us  to  be  careful  how  we  furnish  them  with 
successful  weapons  against  us.  If  we  regard  the  direction  of 
Christ,  even  though  they  rage,  we  may  still  keep  our  hold 
upon  their  consciences  ;  and  so  long  as  we  can  do  this,  we 
need  not  despair  of  the  victory.  But  when  the  preacher  has 
lost  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  and  the  harmlessness  of  the 
dove,  the  contest  will  end  in  a  sham-fight,  and  the  sooner  he 
quits  the  field  the  better. 

"  Paul  would  allow  none  to  be  teachers  but  those  of  '  full 
age,  who  by  reason  of  use  have  their  senses  exercised  to  dis- 
cern both  good  and  evil.'  Hence  he  would  not  license  young 
converts  to  preach.  '  Not  a  novice,  lest  being  lifted  up  with 
pride  he  fall  into  condemnation,  reproach,  and  the  snare  of 
the  devil.'  So  far  as  his  message  was  concerned,  the  apostle 
himself  went  forth,  '  saluting  no  man  by  the  way'  —  '  not  as 
pleasing  men.'  Aside  from  the  simple  truth  of  that  message, 
no  man  was  ever  more  yielding  and  flexible  in  manner  and 
measures.  '  Give  no  offence,  neither  to  the  Jews,  neither  to 
the  Gentiles,  nor  to  the  church  of  God.'  '  Even  as  I  please 
all  men  in  all  things  —  that  they  may  be  saved.'  '  I  am  made 
all  things  to  all  men,  that  I  might  by  all  means  save  some.' 
Was  this  '  carnal  policy  V  and  was  Paul  '  in  a  very  cold  state 
when  he  wrote  that  V 
22* 


258  MEMOIR     OF 

"  The  wisdom  of  the  measures  adopted  and  recommended 
by  Paul,  appear  from  the  fact  that  sinners  may  be  more 
offended  with  what  is  wrong  in  manner  than  with  what  is  right 
in  matter.  If  the  preacher  does  not  hold  a  balance  between 
conscience  and  depravity,  he  can  do  nothing.  The  very  fact 
that  the  unrenewed  heartisso  opposed  to  God  and  the  gospel, 
has  by  some  been  assigned  as  a  reason  for  stirring  up  all  its 
opposition.  Whereas,  aside  from  the  simple  exhibition  of 
divine  truth,  Paul  adopted  a  method  directly  the  opposite.  If 
the  vigilance  of  human  depravity  should  exceed  the  vigilance 
of  the  preacher  in  his  manner  and  measures,  by  this  very 
means  he  will  quiet  the  consciences  of  his  hearers.  Regard- 
less of  his  manner,  Paul  would  have  lost  his  hold  on  the 
consciences  of  sinners,  and  needlessly  and  wickedly  have 
sent  his  hearers  to  a  returnless  distance  from  the  gospel.  This 
made  him  exceedingly  careful  'lest  he  should  hinder  the 
gospel  of  Christ.'  Since  mankind  will  oppose,  we  should  be 
careful  not  to  put  weapons  of  successful  defense  into  their 
hands.  While  they  oppose,  we  should  be  careful  to  keep 
their  consciences  on  our  side. 

"  A  powerful  religious  excitement  badly  conducted,  has  ever 
been  considered  by  the  most  experienced  ministers  and  best 
friends  of  revivals,  to  be  a  great  calamity.  Without  close 
discrimination,  an  attempt  to  raise  the  tone  of  religious  feeling 
will  do  infinite  mischief.  This  was  the  manner  of  false 
teachers.  '  They  zealously  affect  you,  but  not  well.'  It  will 
be  like  that  of  Paul  before  his  conversion,  and  like  that  of 
the  Jews  who  were  never  converted,  '  a  zeal  of  God  but  not 
according  to  knowledge.'  The  driving  will  become  like  the 
driving  of  Jehu,  'Come,  see  my  zeal  for  the  Lord.'  The 
storm,  and  earthquake,  and  fire,  are  dreadful :  but  God  is 
not  there. 

"  The  design  of  these  remarks  is  to  show  the  infinite  im- 
portance of  distinguishing  between  true  and  false  zeal, — true 
and  false  affections. 


DR.    NETttETON.  259 

"  On  reading  the  sermon  in  question,  I  was  reminded  of  the 
repeated  complaints  which  for  some  time  past  I  have  heard 
from  the  most  judicious,  experienced  and  best  revival  ministers 
in  the  West ;  the  substance  of  which  is  as  follows:  'There 
are  various  errors  in  the  mode  of  conducting  revivals  in  this 
region,  which  ought  to  be  distinctly  pointed  out.  That  on  the 
prayer  of  faith.  This  talking  to  God  as  a  man  talks  to  his 
neighbor,  is  truly  shocking — telling  the  Lord  a  long  story 
about  A  or  B,  and  apparently  with  no  other  intent  than  to 
produce  a  kind  of  stage  effect  upon  the  individual  in  question, 
or  upon  the  audience  generally.  This  mouthing  of  words  ; 
those  deep  and  hollow  tones,  all  indicative  that  the  person  is 
speaking  into  the  ears  of  man,  and  not  to  God.  I  say  nothing 
of  the  nature  of  the  petitions  often  presented  ;  but  the  awful 
irreverence  of  the  manner !  How  strange  that  good  men 
should  so  far  forget  themselves,  as  evidently  to  play  tricks  in 
the  presence  of  the  great  God.' 

" '  I  have  often  been  struck  with  this  circumstance  in  the 
mode  of  preaching,  that  nothing  was  heard  of  the  danger  of 
a  spurious  conversion.  For  months  together,  the  thought 
never  seemed  to  be  glanced  at,  that  there  was  any  such  thing 
as  a  satanic  influence  in  the  form  of  religion,  but  only  as 
openly  waging  war  against  all  religion.  Such  a  character  as 
an  enthusiastic  hypocrite,  or  a  self-deceived  person,  seemed 
never  to  be  once  dreamed  of.  The  only  danger  in  the  way 
of  salvation  was  coldness,  deadness  and  rank  opposition.  On 
no  occasion  did  the  eye  ever  seem  to  be  turned  to  another 
quarter  in  the  heavens.' 

"  The  last  paragraph  contains  the  thought  to  which  I  allude. 
The  sermon  in  question  bears  striking  marks  of  the  same  char- 
acter. It  is  an  important  part  of  a  preacher's  duty  in  a  season 
of  powerful  revival,  to  discriminate  between  true  and  false 
conversion.  Without  this,  every  discerning  christian  knows 
that  the   work  will  rapidly  degenerate.     The  most  flaming 


260  MEMOIR    OF 

spiritual  pride  will  be  taken  for  the  highest  moral  excellence, 
and  will  rise  up  and  take  the  lead. 

"  Preachers  who  have  not  guarded  well  this  avenue  in 
seasons  of  powerful  excitement,  have  always  done  more  to 
arrest,  and  disgrace,  and  run  out  revivals,  than  all  the  cold- 
hearted  professors  and  open  enemies  of  religion  together.  It 
was  this  neglect  in  some  zealous  preachers,  that  run  out  the 
revival  in  the  days  of  Edwards,  and  which  led  him  to  write 
his  Treatise  on  the  Religious  Affections. 

"  It  is  of  the  highest  importance  that  the  preacher  present 
to  his  hearers  the  distinguishing  marks  of  true  religion,  the 
graces  of  the  Spirit,  in  all  their  native  loveliness  ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  detect  and  expose  every  counterfeit. 
Having  done  this,  he  may  labor  with  all  his  might  to  bring 
them  up  to  the  highest  possible  tone.  He  may  exhort  them 
to  the  exercise  of  '  Love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentle- 
ness, goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance  ;  and  to  be  kind- 
ly affectioned  one  to  another,  with  brotherly  love,  in  honor 
preferring  one  another.  That  they  walk  with  all  lowliness 
and  meekness,  with  long-suffering,  forbearing  one  another  in 
love,  endeavoring  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace.  That  they  let  nothing  be  done  through  strife,  or 
vain  glory,  but  in  lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  others 
better  than  themselves.  Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and 
anger,  and  clamor,  and  evil-speaking,  be  put  away  from  you, 
with  all  malice.  And  be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender-heart- 
ed, forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath 
forgiven  you.  Likewise  ye  younger,  submit  yourselves  unto 
the  elder.  Yea,  all  of  you  be  subject  one  to  another,  and  be 
clothed  with  humility.'  He  may  exhort  them  '  to  put  on,  as 
the  elect  of  God, — and  be  covered  all  over  with  these  shining 
graces, — bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind, 
meekness,  long-suffering,  forbearing  one  another :  even  as 
Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye.     And  above  all  things,  put 


DR.    NETTLETON.  261 

on  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness.'  He  may  set 
their  hearts  all  on  fire  with  that  heavenly  Form — '  so  pure, 
so  peaceable,  so  gentle  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of 
mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  partiality  and  without  hypoc- 
risy :' — that  is  so  '  long-suffering,  so  kind,  envieth  not,  is  not 
puffed  up,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  her 
own,  is  not  easily  provoked ;  thinketh  no  evil,  rejoiceth  not 
in  iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  in  the  truth;  beareth  all  things,  be-- 
lieveth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things,  and  never  faileth.'  These 
are  the  prevailing  characteristics  of  a  revival  of  religion. 
Their  absence  cannot  be  compensated  by  flaming  zeal. 

"  Nor  is  it  sufficient  that  these  and  all  other  Christian 
graces  be  exhibited,  and  their  counterfeit  exposed  in  theory 
alone.  For  so  hypocrites  will  claim  them  all  as  their  own. 
Profession  is  not  principle.  '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them.'  '  Who  is  a  wise  man  ?  Let  him  show  out  of  a  good 
conversation  his  works  with  meekness  of  wisdom.' 

'  Easy  indeed  it  were  to  reach 
A  mansion  in  the  courts  above, 
If  watery  floods  and  fluent  speech, 
Might  serve  instead  of  faith  and  love.' 

"  The  most  important  part  of  the  preacher's  duty  is,  to  ex- 
hibit the  evidence  of  their  existence  in  the  heart,  by  corres- 
ponding actions  in  the  life.  And  this,  too,  by  being  k  ensam- 
ples  to  the  flock ;'  and  by  carefully  copying  the  example  of 
his  Divine  Master,  '  beseeching  them  by  the  meekness  aud 
gentleness  of  Christ.' 

"As  the  time  would  fail  me  to  complete  the  subject,  Ed- 
wards may,  in  part,  supply  this  deficiency  in  brother  Finney's 
sermon.  I  would  therefore  take  this  opportunity  to  recom- 
mend to  all  young  converts  a  careful  perusal  of  his  account 
of  the  revival  in  New  England,  fourth  part,  and  what  he  says 
on  the  marks  of  true  humility  and  spiritual  pride,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  brief  abstract : 


262  MEMOIR     OF 

"  Spiritual  pride  disposes  one  to  speak  much  of  the  faults 
of  others,  and  with  bitterness,  or  with  levity,  and  an  air  of 
contempt.  Pure  christian  humility  rather  disposes  a  person 
to  be  silent  about  them,  or  to  speak  of  them  with  grief  and 
pity.  Spiritual  pride  is  very  apt  to  suspect  others  ;  an  hum- 
ble saint  is  most  jealous  of  himself.  The  spiritually  proud 
person  is  apt  to  find  fault  with  others  that  are  low  in  grace, 
and  to  be  much  in  observing  how  cold  and  dead  they  be,  and 
crying  out  of  them  and  sharply  reproving  them  for  it.  The 
humble  christian  has  so  much  to  do  at  home,  with  his  own 
heart,  that  he  is  not  apt  to  be  very  busy  with  the  hearts  of 
others,  and  is  apt  to  esteem  others  better  than  himself,  and  to 
take  most  notice  of  what  is  good  in  them,  while  he  takes  most 
notice  of  what  is  wrong  in  himself.  In  his  clearest  discove- 
ries of  God's  glory,  and  in  his  most  rapturous  frames,  he  is 
most  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  his  own  vileness,  and  feels 
the  deepest  self-abasement. 

"  It  is  a  mark  of  spiritual  pride,  when  any  are  disposed  to 
speak  of  what  they  see  amiss  in  others,  in  the  most  harsh, 
severe,  and  terrible  language ;  saying  of  their  opinions,  or 
conduct,  or  advice,  of  their  coldness,  their  silence,  their  cau- 
tion, their  moderation,  and  their  prudence,  that  they  are  from 
the  devil,  or  from  hell ;  that  such  a  thing  is  devilish,  or  hellish, 
or  cursed,  and  the  like  ;  so  that  the  words  devil  and  hell  are 
almost  continually  in  their  mouths.  And  especially,  when 
such  language  is  used  towards  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and 
others  whose  age  or  station  entitles  them  to  particular  respect. 
Humility  leads  the  christian  to  treat  others  that  are  in  fault, 
with  meekness  and  gentleness,  as  Christ  did  his  disciples,  and 
particularly  Peter,  when  he  had  shamefully  denied  him. 

"  Spiritual  pride  disposes  to  affect  singularity  in  manner 
and  appearance,  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  observation. 
Humility  disposes  the  christian  to  avoid  every  thing  which  is 
likely  to  draw  upon  him  the  observation  of  others,  and  to  be 
singular  only  where  he  cannot  be  otherwise  without  the  neg- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  263 

lect  of  a  plain  and  positive  duty.  Spiritual  pride  commonly 
occasions  a  certain  stiffness  and  inflexibility  in  persons,  in 
their  own  judgment  and  their  own  ways.  Humility  inclines 
to  a  yielding,  pliable  disposition.  The  humble  christian  is 
disposed  to  yield  to  others,  and  conform  to  them,  and  please 
them,  in  every  thing  but  sin. 

"  Spiritual  pride  disposes  persons  to  stand  at  a  distance  from 
others,  as  better  than  they.  The  humble  christian  is  ready 
to  look  upon  himself  as  more  unworthy  than  others,  yet  he 
does  not  love  the  appearance  of  an  open  separation  from  vis- 
ible christians  ;  and  will  carefully  shun  every  thing  that  looks 
like  distinguishing  himself  as  more  humble,  or  in  any  respect 
better  than  others. 

"  The  eminently  humble  christian  is  clothed  with  lowliness, 
mildness,  meekness,  gentleness  of  spirit  and  behavior,  and 
with  a  soft,  sweet,  condescending,  winning  air  and  deport- 
ment. Humility  has  no  such  thing  as  roughness,  or  contempt, 
or  fierceness,  or  bitterness,  in  its  nature,  which  things  are 
marks  of  spiritual  pride  ;  as  are  also  invectives  and  censo- 
rious talk  concerning  particular  persons  for  their  opposition, 
hypocrisy,  delusion,  pharisaism,  and  the  like. 

"  Spiritual  pride  takes  great  notice  of  opposition  and  inju- 
ries that  are  received,  and  is  often  speaking  of  them.  Hu- 
mility disposes  a  person  rather  to  be,  like  his  blessed  Lord 
when  reviled,  dumb,  not  opening  his  mouth.  The  more 
clamorous  and  furious  the  world  is  against  him,  the  more  silent 
and  still  will  he  be. 

"Spiritual  pride  leads  those  who  are  reproached,  to  be 
more  bold  and  confident,  and  to  go  greater  lengths  in  that  for 
which  they  are  blamed.  Humility  leads  to  improve  the 
reproaches  of  enemies  as  an  occasion  of  serious  self-exam- 
ination. 

"  Spiritual  pride  leads  to  a  certain  unsuitable  and  self-con- 
fident boldness  before  God  and  man.  Humility  leads  to  the 
opposite. 


2G4 


MEMOIR    OF 


"  Assuming  is  a  mark  of  spiritual  pride  :  putting  on  the  airs 
of  a  master,  to  whom  it  belongs  to  dictate.  Humility  leads 
the  christian  to  take  the  place  of  a  learner,  to  be  '  swift  to 
hear,  slow  to  speak.'  The  eminently  humble  christian  thinks 
he  wants  help  from  every  body,  whereas  he  that  is  spiritually 
proud,  thinks  everybody  wants  his  help.  Christian  humility, 
under  a  sense  of  others'  misery,  entreats  and  beseeches ; 
spiritual  pride  affects  to  command  and  warn  with  authority. 

"  If  young  ministers  had  great  humility,  it  would  dispose 
them  especially  to  treat  aged  ministers  with  respect,  and 
reverence,  as  their  fathers,  notwithstanding  that  a  sovereign 
God  may  have  given  them  greater  success  than  they  have 
had. 

"  It  is  a  mark  of  spiritual  pride  to  refuse  to  enter  into  dis- 
course or  reasoning  with  such  as  are  considered  carnal  men, 
when  they  make  objections  and  inquiries.  Humility  would 
lead  ministers  to  condescend  to  carnal  men,  as  Christ  has 
condescended  to  us,  to  hear  with  our  unteachableness  and 
stupidity,  and  still  follow  us  with  instructions,  line  upon  line, 
precept  upon  precept,  saying,  '  come,  let  us  reason  together  ; ' 
it  would  lead  to  a  compliance  with  the  precept,  '  Be  ready 
always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a 
reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you  with  meekness  and  fear.' 

"  Such  are  some  of  the  marks  of  spiritual  pride  and  true 
humility  pointed  out  by  President  Edwards.  The  abstract 
is  given  as  much  as  possible  in  his  own  words.  The  whole 
of  what  he  says  on  the  subject  deserves  the  most  serious 
consideration. 

11  The  friends  of  religion  have  been  so  much  gratified  with 
that  beautiful  hymn  by  Newton,  that  I  shall  venture  to  insert 
it  in  my  letter  : 

TRUE    AND    FALSE    ZEAL. 

"  Zeal  is  that  pure  and  heavenly  flame 
The  fire  of  love  supplies  ; 
While  that  which  often  bears  the  name, 
Is  self  in  a  disguise. 


DR.     NETTLETON.  265 

True  zeal  is  merciful  and  mild, 

Can  pity  and  forbear ; 
The  false  is  headstrong,  fierce  and  wild, 

And  breathes  revenge  and  war. 

While  zeal  for  truth  the  Christian  warms, 

He  knows  the  worth  of  peace  ; 
But  self  contends  for  names  and  forms, 

Its  party  to  increase. 

Zeal  has  attained  its  highest  aim, 

Its  end  is  satisfied, 
If  sinners  love  the  Saviour's  name, 

Nor  seeks  it  aught  beside. 

But  self  however  well  employed, 

Has  its  own  ends  in  view ; 
And  says,  as  boasting  Jehu  cried, 

'  Come,  see  what  I  can  do.' 

Dear  Lord,  the  idol  self  dethrone, 

And  from  our  hearts  remove  ; 
And  let  no  zeal  by  us  be  shown, 

But  that  which  springs  from  love." 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ASAHEL  NETTLETON." 
"Rev.  Dr.  Spring." 

The  publication  of  the  foregoing  letters  subjected  Dr.  Net- 
tle ton  to  great  reproach.  Many,  however,  who  were  at  that 
time  disposed  to  blame  him,  have  long  since  been  convinced, 
not  only  that  he  was  actuated  by  a  conscientious  regard  to  the 
honor  of  God,  and  the  good  of  Zion,  but  that  he  evinced  great 
wisdom  and  foresight. 

There  were  those  at  that  period,  whose  views  accorded 
with  his  own,  and  who  entirely  approved  of  his  course.  The 
following  testimonial  appeared  in  the  New  York  Observer. 

"Boston,  Nov.  8,  1827. 
"  It  having  been   represented  to  some  of  the  subscribers, 
that  we  disapproved  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Net- 
tleton,  in  reviewing  a  sermon  preached  at  Troy,  March  4, 
23 


266  MEMOIR    OF 

1827,  and  in  opposing  the  sentiments  and  practices  which  it 
seemed  intended  to  vindicate  and  extend  ;  we  regard  ourselves 
as  called  upon  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  say,  that  the  proceedings 
of  Mr.  Nettleton,  appear  to  us  to  have  been  characterized  by 
uncommon  intellectual  vigor,  correct  and  comprehensive  views 
of  the  interests  of  the  church,  and  by  distinguished  wisdom, 
fidelity,  firmness,  and  benevolence,  well  adapted  to  promote 
the  interests  of  pure  religion  throughout  the  land." 
Signed, 
Lyman  Beecher,  Justin  Edwards, 

A.  S.  Norton,  Heman  Humphrey, 

William  R.  Weeks,  C.  J.  Tenney, 

H.  R.  Weed,  J.  Hawes. 

The  views  expressed  in  the  foregoing  testimonial  were  the 
views  entertained  by  the  Congregational  ministers  generally 
in  New  England,  and  by  a  large  proportion  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian ministers  in  the  United  States. 

I  have  before  me  several  letters  written  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Richards,  Professor  of  Divinity  in  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Auburn,  from  which  it  appears  that  he  sympathized  deeply 
with  Dr.  Nettleton  on  the  subject  of  new  measures.  The  fol- 
lowing was  written,  after  having  read  in  manuscript  the  letter 
to  Mr.  Aiken,  from  which  some  extracts  are  inserted  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter. 

"  Auburn,  Feb.  22d,  1827. 
".My  Dear  Brother— 
"  At  what  a  solemn  crisis  have  we  at  length  arrived,  and 
how  strange  it  is,  that  some  who  appear  to  be  among  the  best 
friends  of  God,  should  adopt  opinions  and  practices,  which  are 
likely  to  be  of  such  deleterious  consequence.  Surely  this 
should  carry  us  to  the  throne  of  the  Great  King,  and  excite  us 
to  the  most  humble  and  earnest  supplication.  But  is  this  all? 
It  appears  to  me  that  it  is  time  for  the  sober  friends  of  revivals, 
to  lift  up  their  voice,  and  to  declare  distinctly,  their  views  ol 


DR.    NETTLETON.  267 

the  present  state  of  things,  and  of  the  causes  which  have  led 
to  it.  I  perfectly  concur  with  Dr.  Beecher,  and  yourself,  on 
this  subject. 

"  As  to  the  novel  measures,  which  have  been  adopted  in 
relation  to  revivals,  my  opinion  has  all  along  been  precisely 
what  it  is  now,  except  that  I  supposed  at  first,  they  were  the 
offspring  of  extraordinary  excitement,  and  would  probably  be 
relinquished  as  the  excitement  should  subside.  But  presently, 
however,  I  began  to  think  there  was  ground  to  fear  that  the 
abettors  of  them  were  acting  from  erroneous  speculations  on 
the  subject,  and  that  their  operations  were  matter  of  deliberate 
contrivance,  and  would  probably  be  pursued  as  part  of  a  sys- 
tem. At  every  step  of  their  progress,  I  became  more  convin- 
ced that  they  had  a  plan,  the  result  of  new  and  extraordinary 
light,  and  that  their  object  was,  to  revolutionize  the  churches. 
Of  late,  I  have  had  no  doubt  that  my  apprehensions  were  well 
founded  ;  and  I  shall  be  disappointed  if  any  private  reasoning 
or  remonstrance  shall  produce  any  important  effect  upon  the 
minds  of  those  good  brethren,  who  have,  in  my  judgment, 
become  erratic  in  this  matter.         *  * 

My  opinion  is.  that  your  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Aiken,  ought 
to  be  immediately  published.  Your  long  acquaintance  with 
revivals,  and  the  success  which  has  attended  your  efforts,  will 
give  weight  to  your  opinions  ;  and  if  the  public  will  not  hear 
your  voice,  they  will  hear  nobody.  But  they  loill  hear  it,  and 
you  must  speak,  though  others  should  rejoin. 

"My  brethren, the  professors,  all  unite  in  the  most  cordial 
salutations. 

Respectfully  and  affectionately  yours, 

James  Richards." 

"  Rev.  A.  Nettleton." 

In  another  letter  dated  June  23d,  1827,  Dr.  Richards  says, 
"Your  review  of  Mr.  Finney's  sermon,  has  gone  to  the  very 
core  of  the  business,  and  will  surely  be  effective  in  dissipating 


268  MEMOIR    OF 

much  of  the  illusion  which  is  connected  with  these  mournful 
innovations.  They  call  it  severe,  but  I  call  it  just,  and  as 
timely  as  it  is  just.  I  think  you  may  greatly  felicitate  your- 
self, for  having  written  just  such  a  thing.  In  my  judgment 
the  cause  of  truth  demanded  it.  The  sermon  was  founded 
upon  a  principle,  which,  if  admitted,  would  sanction  every 
species  of  wildness  and  enthusiasm  ; — or  if  it  did  not  directly 
sanction,  it  would  furnish  a  defense  for  the  greatest  extrav- 
agance that,  ever  disgraced  the  religious  world." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Porter,  of  Catskill,  in  a  letter  dated  June  14th, 
182?,  and  published  in  the  pamphlet  which  contains  Dr.  Net- 
tleton's letters  to  Mr.  Aiken,  and  Dr.  Spring,  says,  "  Whatever 
might  have  been  Mr.  Finney's  design,  it  is  perfectly  clear  to 
my  understanding,  that  the  principle  laid  down  and  advocated 
in  his  sermon,  opens  the  door  for  the  introduction  of  all  those 
extravagances,  so  often  witnessed  in  religious  conferences  and 
prayer  meetings,  and  that  Mr.  Nettleton's  remarks  on  said 
sermon  are  in  point ;  and  that  they  have  no  severity  beyond 
the  demands  of  sober  truth.  Mr.  Nettleton  has  done  what  a 
faithful  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  a  friend  to  revivals  of  reli- 
gion, and  one  who  has  had  so  much  experience  in  them,  was 
in  duty  bound  to  do."  In  the  same  letter  he  says,  "  In  re- 
spect to  Mr.  Nettleton's  remarks  on  Mr.  Finney's  sermon,  Dr. 
Griffin  is  willing  to  have  it  said  and  published,  that  he  consid- 
ers the  remarks  i  just  what  they  should  be.'  He  also  mentions 
the  names  of  a  number  of  other  distinguished  ministers,  whose 
views  he  knew  to  agree  with  his  own,  as  Drs.  Hyde,  Shepard, 
Spring,  Blatchford,  McAuley,  and  Messrs.  Tomb,  Prime, 
Lyman,  Rogers,"  &c. 

In  the  note  appended  to  the  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Aiken, 
Dr.  Nettleton  speaks  of  that  letter  as  being  one  of  several 
which  were  written  by  him  to  members  of  the  Oneida  Pres- 
bytery. I  have  before  me,  imperfect  copies  of  three  long  let- 
ters which  were  never  published,  two  of  which  were  addressed 


DR.    NETTLETON.  269 

to  the  Rev.  John  Frost,  of  Whitesborough,  and  one  to  the 
Rev.  Messrs.  Frost  and  Coe.  There  is  much  in  these  letters 
that  is  interesting,  and  would  my  limits  permit,  I  should  be 
glad  to  make  copious  extracts.  The  following  is  from  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Frost,  dated  Durham,  N.  Y.  March  28,  1827. 

"  You  think  that  the  ministers  in  our  region  erred  in  not 
doing  as  you  did,  'receive  brother  Finney  with  open  arms.' 
To  tell  you  the  truth,  brother,  the  ministers  and  other  chris- 
tians, from  this  region,  and  from  New  England,  who  visited 
Oneida  county  last  summer,  saw  with  their  own  eyes,  so 
many  things  which  they  deplored,  that  it  was  the  universal 
opinion  far  and  near,  that  irregularities  were  prevailing  to  such 
an  alarming  extent,  that  the  character  of  revivals  had  gone  back 
half  a  century.  And  this  I  knew  to  be  the  sentiment  of  our 
best  ministers  more  than  three  months  before  I  visited  Albany. 
They  were  all  deploring  the  introduction  of  these  new  meas- 
ures into  our  churches,  knowing  that  they  were  the  same 
which  ran  out  the  revivals  in  the  days  of  Edwards  ;  and  so 
they  were  watching  and  guarding  against  the  introduction  of 
them  into  their  own  churches,  long  before  I  came  to  Albany. 
It  was  the  universal  sentiment  of  ministers,  while  I  was 
laboring  in  Jamaica  last  summer,  that  they  should  not  dare 
employ  a  preacher  in  their  churches  who  adopted  these  meas- 
ures. This  I  knew  to  be  the  fact  from  personal  conversation 
with  scores  of  ministers  and  private  christians  who  visited 
me  in  Jamaica.  I  repeat  the  idea  for  the  sake  of  impressing 
it  on  your  memory — that  ministers  do  not  complain  so  much 
of  irregularities  existing  at  the  West :  for  probably  they  are 
not  so  great  within  your  own  limits,  as  they  are  in  the 
churches  into  which  they  have  been  transferred  abroad.  And 
even  had  these  evils  been  a  thousand  fold  greater  at  the  West, 
you  would  not  have  heard  the  mournful  complaints  of  your 
brethren  at  a  distance,  had  it  been  in  your  power  to  confine 
the  whole  evil  within  the   limits  of  your  own  churches  and 


270  MEMOIR    OF 

congregations.  Your  brethren  know  that  you  have  the  right, 
and  are  willing  that  you  should  exercise  it,  of  pursuing  your 
own  measures,  when  you  can  take  all  the  responsibility.  But 
when  tidings  came  that  these  new  measures  had  been  intro- 
duced into  Troy,  Lansingburg,  and  Albany,  by  brethren  from 
the  West,  and  that  all  the  ministers  and  christians  in  those 
places,  and  all  who  visited  those  places  and  could  not  ap- 
prove of  these  measures,  were  denounced  as  '  cold  and 
stupid,  and  dead,  and  enemies  to  revivals,  and  leading  sinners 
down  to  hell' — which  things  in  this  region  were  generally 
known  to  be  facts  long  before  I  came  to  Albany  ;  the  alarm 
was  greatly  increased.  And  now,  under  these  circumstances, 
how  can  you  think  it  so  strange  that  ministers  did  not  receive 
their  brethren  from  the  West  '  with  open  arms  V  Why, 
brother,  this  was  the  very  evil  which  they  dreaded,  and  against 
which  they  had  been  guarding  for  months.  For,  the  moment 
one  of  these  brethren  was  received  with  open  arms,  the  name 
of  that  minister  who  received  him,  was  made  use  of  all  over 
the  country,  to  sanction  these  men,  and  all  their  calamitous 
measures.  It  was  this  very  thing,  and  nothing  else,  which 
placed  brother  B.  in  a  situation  where  he  must  fall  out  with 
brother  F.  and  his  measures,  or  all  those  ministers  and  chris- 
tians who  could  not  be  converted  to  these  measures.  There 
was  no  alternative.  Brother  B.  could  not  serve  two  masters, 
and  so  a  shameful  war  was  commenced  in  our  Zion,  merely 
in  consequence  of  the  introduction  of  these  new  measures. 
Now  place  yourself  in  the  situation  of  settled  ministers  in 
this  region,  and  then  say  whether  you  would  be  willing  to 
receive  with  open  arms  men,  whose  measures  had  done  so 
much  mischief  in  the  opinion  of  all  your  brethren,  and  so 
lend  the  influence  of  your  respected  name  to  give  these  meas- 
ures your  sanction. 

"  Again — It  was  well  known  that  there  were  ministers 
within  your  own  limits,  and  those  too  who  had  the  confidence 
of  the  christian  public,  who  would  not  receive  brother  F.  into 


DR.    NETTLETON.  271 

their  pulpit,  so  long  as  they  could  avoid  it  without  losing  the 
confidence  of  their  own  people.  And  it  was  further  known 
that  some  who  did  receive  him,  did  it  with  trembling  anxiety 
for  the  consequences.  And  can  you  think  it  strange,  that 
ministers  who  knew,  and  who  had  talked  over  all  these  things, 
should  not  receive  him  with  open  arms  ? 

"  And  besides  ; — It  is  believed  by  many  that  even  now, 
your  Presbytery  would  not  care  to  employ  brother  F.  within 
your  own  limits,  long  in  one  place.  If  this  be  a  fact,  there 
must  be  something  wrong  somewhere ;  either  in  brother  F., 
or  in  the  hearts  of  your  Presbytery.  For,  the  minister, 
whose  preaching  on  the  whole,  exerts  a  healthful  influence, 
will  establish  himself,  not  only  in  the  affections,  but  in  the 
confidence  of  ministers  and  people  ;  and  in  such  a  manner 
as  will  render  his  return,  and  his  labors  on  the  same  field,  far 
more  desirable  than  ever.  *         *         * 

"  On  other  subjects,  mankind,  and  even  ministers,  exer- 
cise far  more  wisdom  and  common  sense,  than  on  the  subject 
of  religion.  Nobody  ever  thought  of  making  a  skillful  phy- 
sician, politician,  or  warrior,  at  once — but  most  of  our  young 
men,  warm  hearted  christians,  and  even  old  ministers  them- 
selves, do  take  it  for  granted  that  a  skillful  minister  can  be 
made  out  of  a  '  novice,'  at  once.  And  ministers  of  influence 
must  be  to  blame,  if  they  do  not  accomplish  the  task. 

"  In  estimating  the  talents  requisite  for  an  itinerant  preacher, 
other  considerations  are  no  less  important  than  intellect,  or 
piety  itself.  And  these  qualifications  cannot  be  known  a 
priori.  Nothing  but  actual  experiment  can  develope  the  pow- 
ers of  a  man  to  do  good  in  revivals,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
secure  the  confidence  of  christians  and  ministers  wherever 
he  goes.  I  could  tell  you  of  facts  to  illustrate  my  remarks. 
I  could  tell  you  of  some  excellent  young  men,  who  could  not 
fail  to  do  good,  where  they  were  well  known,  and  under  the 
eye  of  settled  ministers  to  control  their  movements  ;  but  who, 
on  going  into  different  parts  of  New  England  and  elsewhere, 


272  MEMOIR    OF 

would  do  some  good  for  a  while,  but  ultimately,  far  more 
mischief,  and  would  certainly  have  lost  their  own  character, 
had  they  not  been  privately  called  away  from  that  field.  In 
this  way,  I  think  I  have  saved  some  of  our  own  young  minis- 
ters from  losing  all  their  influence,  and  so  from  leaving  our 
own  denomination.  When  they  have  fallen  out  with  settled 
pastors,  I  never  thought  of  disputing  the  point,  who  was  to 
blame.  Evangelists  have  no  more  right  to  intermeddle  with 
ministers  and  their  flocks,  than  they  have  with  their  families, 
wives,  children,  and  domestic  concerns ;  and  any  murmuring 
complaints  on  this  point,  go  on  the  supposition,  that  an  evan- 
gelist may  lord  it  over  all  the  pastors  and  their  flocks." 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


His  Doctrinal  Views  and  interest  in  the  recent  Theological  Controversy. 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  a  New  England  Calvinist.  Although 
he  called  no  man  master,  but  took  the  Bible  as  his  only  rule 
of  faith  ;  yet  the  system  of  doctrines  maintained  by  Edwards, 
Bellamy,  Dwight,  and  other  standard  theological  writers  of 
New  England,  he  believed  to  be  the  system  taught  in  the 
Scriptures. 

The  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Calvinistic  system,  such  as — 
The  Decrees  of  God — The  Total  Depravity  of  Man  by  Na- 
ture— Regeneration,  by  the  special  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit — Particular  Election  to  Eternal  Life — Justification  by 
Faith  alone — and  the  Perseverance  of  the  Saints,  as  they 
were  maintained  by  the  divines  above  mentioned,  he  not  only 
believed,  but  fearlessly  avowed  and  defended. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  sermons,  presenting  his  theologi- 
cal views,  on  some  of  these  points,  may  be  interesting  to  the 
reader. 

The  following  is  from  a  sermon  on  the  Decrees  of  God, 
founded  on  Ephes.  i.  1 1 . 

"  God  never  acts  without  design  or  determination.  Thus 
to  act,  would  be  to  act  without  wisdom.  He  has  a  perfect 
plan,  defined  exactly  according  to  his  own  will,  as  asserted 
in  the  text.  This  counsel  denotes  his  design,  purpose,  or 
decree  respecting  all  events."  *         *  * 

"  If  God   has  not  decreed    the  existence  of   future   events, 


274  MEMOIR    OF 

neither  the  existence,  nor  time,  nor  manner  of  such  events, 
could  possibly  be  foreknown.  The  Omniscient  God  views 
all  things  as  eternally  present.  Yet,  as  he  existed  before  all 
t/iings,  his  knowledge  of  all  things  must  have  consisted  in  the 
knowledge  of  all  future  events.  Or  thus — He  must  have  had 
a  present  and  perfect  knowledge  of  all  things,  while  as  yet, 
there  was  no  actual  existence  but  himself.  He  alone  has 
existed  from  eternity ;  yet  he  is  eternally  Omniscient,  The 
actual  existence  of  all  things  must  have  been  future  and 
known  to  be  future,  by  the  self-existent  and  Omniscient 
Jehovah. 

"  But  future  events  must  become  certain  of  existence  before 
their  existence  can  be  certainly  known.  Though  what  is  fore- 
known is  equally  certain  of  existence  ;  yet  mere  knowledge 
cannot  be  the  ground  of  this  certainty.  On  the  contrary,  in 
the  order  of  nature,  absolute  certainty  is  the  ground  of  all 
knowledge.  Now  what  could  be  the  ground  of  the  certain 
existence  of  all  events,  in  their  time,  order,  and  perfect  har- 
mony ;  and  what  could  make  them  eternally  the  objects  of 
present,  certain,  intuitive  knowledge  in  the  Infinite  Mind, 
while  as  yet  there  were  none  of  them  in  actual  existence  ? 
'  What  but  the  eternal  purpose  of  him  who  worketh  all  things 
after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will?''  If  the  world,  or  any  event, 
could  be  certainly  future,  with  the  time  and  circumstances  of 
its  existence,  without  being  made  so  by  the  decree  of  God, 
then  it  can  actually  exist  without  him.  On  this  supposition, 
we  are  left  without  any  proof  of  the  existence  of  God." 

"  Infinite  wisdom  is  a  complex  attribute.  It  implies  not 
only  infinite  knowledge,  but  infinite  benevolence,  and  com- 
prehends the  whole  moral  character  of  God.  I  observe,  then, 
that  leaving  out  the  eternal  counsel  or  decree  of  God,  no  just 
conceptions  can  possibly  be  formed  of  his  moral  perfections. 
Infinite  wisdom  consists  in  discerning  and  proposing  the  high- 


DR.    NETTLETON 


est  and  best  possible  end,  and  in  determining  to  pursue  the 
best  means  to  accomplish  it."  *         * 

"If  God  has  not  eternally  determined  to  accomplish  all  that 
which  Omniscience  sees  to  be  best,  he  is  neither  infinitely- 
wise  nor  infinitely  good  ;  unless  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness 
imply  perfect  indifference  to  the  existence  of  the  greatest  pos- 
sible good.  Would  we  ascribe  the  perfection  of  infinite  wis- 
dom to  God  ?  It  consists  essentially  in  his  fixed  and  immuta- 
ble determination  to  accomplish  all  that  which  Omniscience 
sees  to  be  best.  An  infinitely  wise  plan  is  infinitely  holy, 
just  and  good.  This  plan,  the  Omniscient  God  views  not 
with  indifference.  But  in  a  fixed  and  immutable  determina- 
tion to  accomplish  this  plan  consists  essentially  the  infinite 
wisdom,  holiness,  justice,  and  goodness  of  God." 

"  But  it  will  be  asked,  if  God  has  decreed  the  actions  of 
men,  how  can  they  be  free  ?  That  man  is  free,  and  that  God 
has  decreed  his  actions,  are  plain  matters  of  fact.  Both  are 
clearly  taught  in  the  Scriptures.  That  we  are  free  in  our 
actions  we  have  as  clear  and  certain  evidence,  as  we  have  of 
our  own  existence.  That  the  decrees  of  God  are  accomplish- 
ed by  the  free  and  voluntary  actions  of  men,  we  have  the 
plain  and  direct  testimony  of  the  Bible,  '  And  truly  the  son  of 
man  goeth,  as  it  ivas  determined  ;  but  wo  unto  that  man  by  wham 
he  is  betrayed.'1 — Luke  xxii.  22.  '  Him  being  delivered  by  the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God,  ye  have  taken 
and  with  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain.7 — Acts  ii.  23. 
'  For  of  a  truth,  against  thy  holy  child  Jesus,  whom  thou  hast 
anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles,  and 
the  people  of  Israel,  were  gathered  together,  for  to  do  whatsoever 
thy  hand  and  thy  counsel  determined  before  to  be  done.'' — Acts 
iv.  27,  28.  '  And  when  they  had  fulfilled  all  that  was  written 
of  him,  they  took  him  down  from  the  tree,  and  laid  him  in  the 
sepulchre.7     *  Without  the  shedding  of  blood   there  is  no  remi&- 


276  MEMOIR    OF 

"  Has  God  offered  his  Son  a  sacrifice  for  sin  ; — or  has  he 
not  ?  Did  Christ  lay  down  his  life  for  his  sheep  ?  and  did  he 
make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  when  the  Jews  put  him  to 
death;  or  did  he  not  ?  When  they  wounded,  and  bruised,  and 
crucified  him,  was  he  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and 
bruised  for  our  iniquities  ;  or  was  he  not  ?  If  the  hand  and 
counsel  of  God  was  not  in  it,  who  will  dare  to  say  with  the 
prophet — '  The  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquities  of  us  all  V 

The  following  is  taken  from  a  sermon  on  Ps.  xcrii.  1,  the 
object  of  which  is  to  show,  that  it  is  a  matter  of  rejoicing  that 
God  governs  the  universe. 

"  All  the  objections  which  I  have  ever  heard  against  the 
doctrine  of  decrees,  or  election,  may  be  reduced  to  this  one : 
If  God  operates  on  the  hearts  of  sinners,  and  causes  them  to 
act,  how  can  they  be  free  ?  My  hearers,  am  I  bound  to  ob- 
viate this  objection  ?  Does  it  lie  against  none  but  those  who 
hold  the  doctrine  of  God's  decrees  1  We  will  drop  the  doc- 
trine of  decrees.  How  is  it  then  ?  Does  God  operate  on  the 
hearts  of  men,  or  does  he  not  ?  If  not,  then  we  must  not  pray 
that  he  would  do  it.  *  *  No  person  can  pray  for  him- 
self, without  admitting  that  God  may  operate  on  his  own  heart, 
and  yet  he  be  free.  '  Turn  thou  me,  and  1  shall  be  turned'' — 
1  Turn  us,  O  God  of  our  salvation' — '  Draw  us  and  we  will  run 
after  thee* — '  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God,  and  renew  a 
right  spirit  within  me.''  These  prayers  are  found  in  the  Bible. 
But  persons  ought  not  to  have  prayed  in  this  manner,  if  God 
could  not  answer  their  prayers  without  destroying  their  free 
agency."  *  *  *  "  No  person  can  pray  for  others  without 
admitting  that  God  may  operate  on  their  hearts,  and  yet  they 
be  free.  However  wicked  mankind  may  be,  we  cannot  pray 
that  he  would  stop  them  in  their  career  of  sin,  because  he 
cannot  do  it  without  destroying  their  freedom."  "  Christ  de- 
clared, '  Ye  loill  not  come  to  me,  that  ye  might  have  life.''  Sin- 
ners are  then  in  an  awful  condition.  They  will  not  come  to 
Christ ;  and  God  cannot  make  them  willing,  without  destroy- 


DR.     NETTLETON.  277 

ing  their  freedom.  What  shall  be  done  ?  It  will  be  of  no 
use  to  pray  for  them.  *  *  The  grand  objection,  therefore, 
which  is  so  often  urged  against  the  doctrine  of  decrees,  lies 
with  equal  force  against  the  duty  of  prayer."  *  *  "  Let  the 
inquiry  now  be  made,  does  God  govern  all  his  creatures,  and 
all  their  actions  ?  Does  he  govern  the  actions  of  wicked 
men  and  devils  ?  No,  says  one  ; — he  cannot  do  it  without 
destroying  their  freedom.  No,  says  another  ;  he  cannot  do  it, 
without  becoming  the  author  of  sin.  My  object  is  not  now  to 
prove  the  doctrine  that  God  does  reign  over  wicked  men  and 
devils  ;  but  simply  to  show  that  this  is  a  desirable  thing  ;  and 
that  ^f  he  can  thus  reign  over  wicked  men  and  devils,  it  is  in- 
deed matter  of  great  rejoicing."  *  *  *  "If  God  cannot 
govern  wicked  beings,  without  destroying  their  freedom,  or 
becoming  the  author  of  sin,  and  therefore  must  resign  his 
dominion  over  them,  or  let  them  alone,  the  universe  is  truly 
in  an  awful  condition.  Let  us  for  a  moment  contemplate  the 
condition  we  are  in.  Cast  your  eyes  abroad  and  see  how  the 
wickedness  of  men  prevails.  The  adversary  of  souls  goeth 
about  as  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour.  What 
then  shall  be  done  ?  God  cannot  govern  these  beings,  it  is 
said,  without  becoming  the  author  of  sin.  The  Church  of 
Christ  is  truly  in  a  lamentable  condition.  What  will  become 
of  the  church,  we  know  not ;  for  the  devil  has  come  down  with 
great  wrath.  He  will  do  all  he  can  to  destroy  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  on  earth.  He  will  do  all  he  can  to  destroy  heav- 
en itself.  What  shall  be  done  ?  We  live  under  a  government 
which  can  afford  us  no  protection.  Wicked  men  and  deA'ils 
are  let  loose  upon  us.  They  have  entered  the  dominions  of 
Jehovah,  and  are  now  fast  subverting  his  kingdom.  *  *  * 
Nothing  can  be  done.  The  work  of  desolation  must  go  on 
through  all  eternity ;  for  God  cannot  govern  their  actions 
without  destroying  their  freedom,  or  becoming  the  author  of 
sin.  Thus,  my  hearers,  you  see  the  condition  we  are  in. 
It  is  gloomy  and  awful  beyond  expression." 
24 


278  MEMOIR    OF 

In  a  sermon  from  Eph.  ii.  1,  he  traces  the  analogy  between 
natural  and  spiritual  death,  and  thus  illustrates  the  doctrine  of 
total  depravity. 

"  In  natural  death,  there  are  no  remains  of  life.  It  cannot 
be  said  of  a  man  that  he  is  dead,  as  long  as  there  is  the  least 
glimmering  of  life  remaining. 

"  So  of  the  sinner  spiritually  dead.  There  is  no  spiritual 
life,  or  holiness  in  him.  If  there  was,  it  would  not  be  true 
that  he  is  dead.  The  apostle  does  not  say  that  they  were  half 
dead,  or  almost  dead,  but  he  asserts  that  they  were  dead.  If 
this  is  not  entire  depravity,  my  hearers,  then  those  bodies  in 
yonder  graveyard,  are  not  dead.  * 

"  Men,  naturally  dead,  will  never  raise  themselves  to  life. 
Never  was  it  heard  since  the  world  began,  that  a  body  once 
dead,  ever  reanimated  itself.  So  it  is  with  sinners.  Though 
as  it  respects  blame,  the  cases  are  not  parallel,  yet  as  it 
respects  the  certainty  of  the  event,  they  are  exactly  parallel. 
Left  to  himself,  the  sinner  will  as  certainly  remain  in  his  sins, 
as  the  dead  will  continue  to  sleep  in  their  graves. 

"  With  respect  to  those  naturally  dead,  no  means  can  effect 
their  resurrection  to  life.  No  skill,  no  attachment  of  surviving 
friends,  no  exertions,  no  tears  can  do  it.  So  with  sinners  ;  no 
means  that  can  be  used,  can  raise  them  to  spiritual  life.  Pa- 
rents may  be  anxious  for  the  souls  of  their  children.  They 
may  labor,  and  weep  over  them  ;  but  they  cannot  help  them. 
The  faithful  minister  of  the  gospel  may  love  the  souls  of  his 
hearers — he  may  labor  and  exert  himself  in  every  possible 
way  to  awaken  and  promote  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and 
his  soul  may  weep  in  secret  places  for  them  ;  but  he  cannot 
awaken  a  single  soul.  Aside  from  divine  influence,  he  might 
sound  an  alarm  over  the  graves  of  the  departed,  with  equal 
propriety,  and  equal  success." 

The  following  is  from  a  sermon  on  the  doctrine  of  regene- 
ration, founded  on  John  i :  12,  13. 

"  That  the  Holy  Spirit  makes  use  of  the  word,  and  many 


DR.    NETTLETON.  279 

instruments,  to  bring  sinners  to  Christ,  I  have  no  doubt.  But 
that  men  are  naturally  inclined  to  approve  of,  and  obey  the 
precepts  of  the  gospel,  is  contradicted  by  the  whole  tenor  of 
the  scriptures.  It  is  a  fundamental  principle  of  the  gospel, 
that  by  nature  we  are  children  of  wrath,  and  that  we  are  at 
enmity  with  God,  blinded  to  the  light  of  his  truth,  and  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins.  To  suppose  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
communicated  to  all  in  a  sufficient  manner  to  save  them,  is 
entirely  inconsistent  with  the  idea  of  any  special  grace,  and 
makes  one  man  as  much  born  of  God,  as  another.  Our  text 
says,  as  many  as  received  Christ,  and  believed  on  his  name, 
were  born  of  God ;  and  the  doctrine  of  the  undistinguishing 
influences  of  the  Spirit,  cannot  be  maintained.  It  is  a  stum- 
bling-block in  the  way  of  many,  that  God  should  give  more  of 
his  Spirit  to  one,  than  to  another.  To  remove  this  subject  of 
prejudice,  Pelagius,  and  multitudes  more,  have  maintained, 
that  all  men  receive  gifts  alike,  and  are  alike  furnished  to  the 
work  of  their  salvation.  This  entirely  dispenses  with  the 
new  birth,  or  makes  it  alike  common  to  every  man.  On  this 
scheme,  Judas  had  as  much  grace  as  Paul  ;  and  Ahab,  who 
sold  himself  to  work  wickedness,  as  David,  the  man  after 
God's  own  heart.  All  the  difference  between  them  was 
owing  to  the  different  manner  in  which  they  improved  their 
privileges.  I  do  not  deny  that  the  Spirit  of  God  strives  with 
all  men  who  are  not  reprobates.  I  fully  admit  it.  I  admit 
that  the  promises  and  threatenings  of  the  gospel,  would  be 
sufficient  to  persuade  us  to  a  holy  life,  if  our  understandings 
were  no^  darkened,  and  our  affections  depraved.  But  as  it  is, 
I  deny  that  common  grace  makes  us  sons  of  God,  or  that  we 
are  persuaded  to  be  christians  without  a  special  divine  influ- 
ence, or  that  all  men  receive  the  same  measure  of  the  Spirit. 
After  all  preparatory  means — all  the  promises  and  threaten- 
ings of  the  gospel — all  the  operations  of  common  grace — and 
all  exertions  of  unregenerate  sinners,  they  must  be  born  of 
God  in  order  to  become  his  children.     There  must  be  a  new 


280  MEMOIR     OF 

creation — a  work  accomplished  by  Almighty  power — a  sove- 
reign, special,  supernatural  work,  like  making  a  world,  or 
raising  the  dead,  (as  to  the  power  exerted  ;)  and  without  such 
a  work,  no  one  can  ever  see  the  kingdom  of  God.  Persuasion 
is  not  sufficient  to  make  men  new  creatures.  If  the  Holy 
Spirit  operates  on  the  minds  of  men,  only  by  setting  motives 
before  them,  be  the  kinds  ever  so  diverse,  or  well  adapted  to 
this  purpose,  yet  after  all,  it  depends  on  the  will  of  man, 
whether  he  shall  be  regenerated  or  not.  On  this  scheme,  the 
glory  of  regeneration  belongs  to  ourselves.  No  new  taste — 
no  new  spiritual  discernment,  springs  from  persuasion.  If 
regeneration  comes  thus,  then  a  man  begets  himself — he  is 
born  of  himself — he  makes  himself  to  differ  from  others.  On 
this  plan,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  no  more  to  do  than  Paul,  or 
Apollos.  Besides — this  is  not  what  we  pray  for.  We  pray 
not  that  motives  may  be  set  before  us  to  persuade  us  to  regen- 
erate ourselves  ;  but  that  God  would  change  us — create  us 

"  There  is,  then,  only  one  way  left,  for  a  creature  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins,  to  rise  to  life.  This  is  by  the  power  of 
God  which  quickens  him.  The  same  energy  which  brought 
Christ  from  the  dead,  the  exceeding  great  power  of  the  living 
God,  must  perform  the  work.  Such  a  work  being  proved,  the 
whole  system  of  evangelical  truth — the  doctrines  of  grace — of 
divine  sovereignty — of  election — of  redemption  by  Christ — 
of  human  depravity — and  others  connected  with  them,  all 
flow  from  it.  There  is  one  grand,  harmonious,  and  perfect 
system — and  God  is  the  sum,  the  substance,  and  the  glory 
of  all." 

In  a  sermon  from  Acts  xviii.  10,  he  undertakes  to  show 
that  "  the  doctrine  of  election  furnishes  the  only  ground  of 
encouragement  to  the  use  of  means."  This  position  he  estab- 
lishes by  showing  the  utter  inefficacy  of  all  means,  when  not 
accompanied  by  the  blessing  of  God.  The  following  is  the 
close  of  the  sermon.     "  From  this  subject  we  may  infer  the 


DR.    NETTLETON.  28  i 

mistake  of  those  who  consider  the  doctrine  of  election  a  dis- 
couraging doctrine.  Are  there  not  many  present,  who  are 
still  without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world?  They  have 
spent  the  best  of  their  days  in  sin.  All  means  have  hitherto 
proved  ineffectual:  So  many  years  of  their  probation  have 
gone,  and  they  are  still  enemies  of  God.  They  have  heard 
the  gospel,  and  have  rejected  it.  Permit  me  to  summon  these 
individuals  to  the  bar  of  their  own  consciences. 

"  I  would  ask  you,  what  reason  have  you  to  believe  that 
the  gospel  which  you  have  heard  in  vain  for  so  many  years, 
will  take  effect  when  your  hearts  are  still  more  hard  ?  I 
would  that  you  might  feel  the  difficulty.  We  have  no  more 
powerful  means  than  those  which  have  already  been  used. 
Now,  if  you  deny  the  doctrine  of  election,  where  is  your  hope  ? 
We  will  suppose  that  the  doctrine  is  not  true  —  that  God  will 
leave  you  to  do  as  you  have  done,  and  leave  the  means  to 
operate  as  they  have  done.  Is  this  encouraging  ?  Deny  the 
doctrine  of  election,  and  there  is  not  a  sinner  in  this  assembly 
who  has  the  least  reason  to  conclude  that  he  shall  ever  be 
saved. 

"  Perhaps  some  of  my  hearers  are  displeased  with  this 
doctrine,  and  hope  that  it  is  not  true.  Then  let  me  address 
you  on  your  own  ground.  Whether  this  doctrine  be  true  or 
false,  it  is  an  eternal  truth  acknowledged  by  all,  that  '  except 
ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.'  Strike  out  the  doctrine 
of  election  ;  yet  the  doctrine  of  regeneration  is  true.  '  Vcr/Ji/, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  man  he  born  again,  he  cannot  sec 
the  kingdom  of  God.''  Strike  out  the  doctrine  of  election,  and 
let  the  means  operate  just  as  they  have  done,  yet  the  doctrine 
of  faith  is  true.  '  He  that  belicvcth  not  shall  be  damned.''  Here 
is  a  given  character  which  all  the  heirs  of  salvation  must  pos- 
sess. Now  you  are  at  liberty  to  become  christians  on  the 
easiest  plan  you  can.  If  you  will  repent,  and  believe,  and  be 
born  again,  you  shall  be  saved,  whatever  may  become  of  the 
doctrine  of  election. 

24* 


282  MEMOIR    OF 

"  But  why  have  you  not  repented,  and  believed,  and  become 
christians  already  ?  Why  do  you  stand  disputing  about  this 
doctrine,  when  you  know  that  you  must  repent,  and  believe, 
and  be  born  again,  or  be  lost?  What  will  your  disputing 
about  this  doctrine  accomplish  ?  If  it  be  true,  disputing  will 
not  alter  it.  Is  it  necessary  for  you  to  prove  the  doctrine  to 
be  false,  before  you  can  repent  ?  If  you  will  repent,  the 
doctrine  of  election  will  not  hurt  you  if  it  be  true.  But  if  it 
be  not  true,  then  you  have  got  to  repent,  and  believe,  and  be 
born  again,  without  it ;  and  it  is  high  time  that  you  were  in 
earnest  on  tire  subject. 

"  If  you  say,  you  cannot  repent,  unless  God  grant  you 
repentance  ; — that  is  the  same  as  to  say,  you  cannot  repent 
unless  the  doctrine  of  election  is  true.  For  if  the  doctrine  of 
election  is  not  true,  it  is  certain  that  God  has  not  determined 
to,  grant  repentance  to  one  of  the  human  race.  If  this  doctrine 
is  not  true,  it  is  certain  that  God  has  not  determined  to  grant 
you  repentance. 

"  Instead  of  troubling  yourselves  about  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion, I  will  show  you  a  more  excellent  way.  Begin  to  trouble 
yourselves  about  your  own  wicked  hearts.  The  day  of  sal- 
vation is  drawing  to  a  close  ; — and  what  have  you  done  1 
and  where  are  you  now  ?  Hitherto  you  have  rejected  all  the 
melting  invitations  of  a  bleeding  Saviour  ;  and  where  are  you 
now  ?  Hitherto  you  have  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and 
where  are  you  now  ? 

"  In  spite  of  the  offers  of  heaven — the  calls  of  a  bleeding- 
Saviour — the  invitations,  commands  and  threatenings  of  Al- 
mighty God,  you  have  hitherto  resisted  ;  and  will  you  con- 
tinue to  force  your  way  down  to  hell  ?  There  is  but  a  gleam 
of  hope.     '  Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye  die  V 

"  Come,  O  thou  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  breathe  upon  these 
slain,  that  they  may  live." 

A  sermon  from  Phil.  i.  6,  contains  a  very  able  discussion 


DH.    NETTLETON,  2S3 

of  the  doctrine  of  the  saints'  perseverance.     The  following 
is  one  of  his  inferences. 

"  We  see  a  reason  why  angels  rejoice  at  the  repentance  of 
one  sinner.  If  angels  did  not  believe  this  doctrine,  they  could 
have  no  ground  on  which  to  rejoice.  They  must  wait  till  the 
sinner  gets  to  heaven. 

"  The  true  penitent  will  certainly  arrive  safe  at  the  man- 
sions of  the  blessed.  A  firm  belief  of  this  doctrine,  lays  the 
only  foundation  for  joy  in  heaven  over  his  repentance.  If 
angels  did  not  firmly  believe  this  doctrine,  their  joy  would  be 
unfounded.  Their  language  would  be,  that  sinner  has  truly 
repented.  He  is  now  a  child  of  God — an  heir  of  heaven. 
But  whether  he  will  ever  reach  this  happy  place — whether  he 
will  ever  sing  with  us  in  glory,  is  a  matter  of  great  uncer- 
tainty. He  may  yet  become  a  child  of  the  devil,  and  an  heir 
of  hell.  Could  we* know  that  he  would  certainly  arrive  safe 
at  heaven,  we  might  now  tune  our  harps,  and  sing  glory  to  God 
in  the  highest.  But  since  we  have  already  been  disappointed, 
and  devils  and  damned  spirits  are  now  triumphing  over  some 
at  whose  repentance  we  once  rejoiced,  it  is  best  to  wait  and 
see  how  they  hold  out.  Hear  them  triumph  in  the  regions  of 
despair.  '  Ye  angels,'  say  they,  '  Ye  may  suspend  your  songs, 
and  hang  up  your  harps.  Let  your  joy  be  turned  into  mourn- 
ing.    Victory  is  ours.' 

"  What  think  ye,  my  hearers  ?  Has  there  been  joy  in 
heaven  over  some  who  are  now  in  hell  ?  If  they  so  rejoiced 
at  the  news  of  the  sinner's  repentance,  what  messenger  shall 
carry  back  the  mournful  tidings  that  he  is  lost  ?" 

Another  inference  is, 

"  That  there  may  be  such  a  thing  as  the  full  assurance  of 
hope  in  this  life.  If  the  doctrine  is  not  true,  the  best  christian 
on  earth  must  be  altogether  uncertain  of  heaven.  But  it  being 
true,  we  learn  on  what  the  full  assurance  of  hope  is  founded. 
So  far  as  the  christian  can  be  certain  that  the  good  work  has 


284 


M  EMOIR     OF 


been  begun  in  his  soul,  so  far  he  can  be  certain  of  arriving  at 
heaven. 

"  It  is  surprising  that  some  who  deny  this  doctrine,  will  yet 
say  that  they  are  certain  of  heaven.  This  is  plainly  absurd. 
If  one  christian  may  fall  away  and  finally  perish,  then  another, 
and  another  may  ;  and  so  all  may  be  lost.  Not  one  can  have 
assurance  of  salvation. 

"  I  remember  a  short  conversation  on  this  subject,  of  the 
following  import. 

"  A  person  who  denied  this  doctrine,  was  expressing  his 
joy  in  believing.  He  was  interrogated  on  this  subject.  '  Why 
do  you  rejoice,  my  friend  ?  Do  you  think  there  is  any  certain 
connection  between  your  believing  now,  and  your  final  salva- 
tion V  He  perceived  that  if  he  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
he  must  admit  the  doctrine,  and  so  he  replied  in  the  negative. 
The  question  was  then  put  to  him,  '  if  there  is  no  certain  con- 
nection between  your  present  belief,  and  your  final  salvation, 
why  do  you  rejoice  V  He  replied,  '  because  my  sins  are  for- 
given.' '  But  why  rejoice  because  your  sins  are  forgiven  ? 
You  say,  you  have  no  evidence  that  you  are  not  to  suffer  in 
hell  for  your  sins  after  all.  Why  rejoice  because  your  sins  are 
forgiven  V  '  Why,  if  I  am  faithful,  if  I  persevere  to  the  end, 
I  shall  be  saved.'  '  Very  true — unless  you  persevere,  you 
cannot  be  saved.  But  what  reason  have  you  to  conclude  that 
you  shall  persevere  ?  What  makes  you  so  confident  that  you 
shall  be  saved  ?  Show  us  the  ground  of  your  confidence. 
Do  you  trust  in  your  own  resolutions  V  '  No.'  '  Well,  what 
then?  Do  you  trust  in  the  stability  of  your  own  will  ?  Do 
you  feel  superior  to  the  power  of  temptation  ?  Do  you  think 
you  are  a  person  of  such  decision,  such  stability  and  firmness, 
that  when  you  undertake  the  work,  you  shall  certainly  go 
through  with  it  ?  Is  this  the  reason  you  have  to  think  that 
you  shall  persevere  and  be  saved  V  '  No.'  '  Well,  what  then  1 
What  reason  have  you  to  think  you  should  be  faithful — that 
you  shall  persevere  and  be  saved  ?     If  God  is  not  first  faithful 


D  II  .    NETTLETOA.  285 

to  you.  you  will  not  be  faithful  to  him.'  And,  my  hearers,  he 
could  see  no  reason  why  he  should  rejoice.  He  could  find 
no  rest  for  the  sole  of  his  foot,  until  he  was  driven  back  on 
the  ground  of  our  text.  Being  confident  of  this  very  tiling, 
that  he  which  hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you,  vrill  perform  it 
until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ.  And,  my  hearers,  what  evidence 
have  you  that  you  shall  persevere  ?  Do  you  trust  in  your- 
selves ?  You  lean  on  a  broken  reed.  You  build  on  the  sand. 
There  is  depravity  enough  in  your  hearts  to  sink  you  to  hell, 
if  left  to  yourselves.  If  you  have  never  seen  and  felt  this 
awful  truth,  you  have  never  yet  seen  your  own  hearts,  nor 
been  thoroughly  awakened.  If  you  have  not  felt  this  awful 
truth,  you  have  not  yet  been  driven  out  of  yourselves — not 
yet  left  the  strong  hold  of  self-righteous  deception — not  yet 
fed  for  refuge,  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set  before  you" 

Although  Dr.  Nettleton  dwelt  much,  in  his  preaching,  on 
the  doctrines  of  grace,  and  exhibited  with  great  plainness  the 
lost  condition  of  the  sinner,  and  his  entire  dependence  on  the 
sovereign  mercy  of  God  ;  yet  no  man  ever  held  up  more  fully 
and  more  clearly  the  obligations  of  men  ;  or  pressed  more 
forcibly  on  the  consciences  of  sinners  the  duty  of  immediate 
repentance.  It  was  a  prominent  object  with  him  to  show  that 
sinners  labor  under  no  inability  to  obey  the  divine  commands 
which  furnishes  them  with  the  least  excuse.  Hence  he  felt 
no  embarrassment  in  urging  upon  them  by  every  solemn  and 
affecting  consideration,  an  immediate  compliance  with  the 
terms  of  the  gospel. 

The  following  is  from  a  sermon  on  2  Cor.  vi.  20.  "  Do 
you  ask  what  God  requires  of  you?  The  answer  is  plain. 
'  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God.''  This  is  what  God  claims.  And 
from  this  we  cannot  depart,  without  entering  on  forbidden 
ground.  He  claims  the  heart.  And  from  this  we  cannot 
depart  without  disloyalty  to  God.  Individuals  may  negotiate 
a  treaty  of  peace,  though  the  heart  be  not  engaged.  An  out- 
ward reconciliation  may  be  effected,  while  the  heart  remains 


286  MEMOIR    OF 

the  same.  But  not  so  with  God.  He  lookcth  on  the  heart. 
If  that  be  withheld,  to  what  purpose  is  the  multitude  of  your 
sacrifices  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord  ?  If  the  heart  be  not 
engaged,  however  sinners  may  treat  about  a  reconciliation, 
their  insolence  is  met  with  the  repulsive  demand — who  hath 
required  this  at  your  hand  ?  Without  this  not  a  step  can  be 
taken  towards  settling  your  peace  with  God. 

"  And  now  all  things  are  ready  ;  and  God  is  inviting  and 
beseeching  you  to  accept  his  message.  What  is  the  reply  of 
your  heart  ?  Do  you  not  like  the  terms  of  this  treaty  ?  You 
are  required  only  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  W7hat  can  be  more 
reasonable  than  this  ?  Is  it  hard  that  you  should  be  required 
to  love  God  ?  to  feel  sorrow  for  sin  ?  to  confess  and  forsake 
it  1  Is  this  hard  ?  Or  is  sin  so  lovely  and  so  desirable  that 
it  appears  hard  and  unreasonable  that  you  should  be  required 
to  hate  and  oppose  it  with  all  your  heart  ?  Why  then,  will 
you  not  renounce  it  ?  Is  sin  so  noble  a  thing  in  itself,  and  so 
desirable  in  its  consequences,  that  you  cannot  part  with  it — 
that  you  will  lay  down  your  life — your  eternal  life — for  its 
sake  ?  Your  love  of  sin  is  all  the  excuse  you  have,  or  can 
have.  Or  will  you  plead  your  inability?  What?  cannot  be 
reconciled  to  God !  Cannot  feel  sorrow  for  sin  ?  Cannot 
cease  to  rebel  against  the  King  of  heaven  !  What  an  ac- 
knowledgment is  this  !  Out  of  thine  own  mouth,  wilt  thou 
be  condemned.  If  indeed,  you  are  so  opposed  to  God,  that 
you  cannot  feel  sorrow  for  sin,  this  is  the  very  reason  why 
you  ought  to  be  condemned.  The  harder  it  is  for  you  to 
repent  and  love  God,  the  more  wicked  you  are,  and  the 
greater  will  be  your  condemnation. 

"  God  himself  is  beseeching  you  to  be  reconciled.  And 
why  do  you  not  obey  ?  Has  your  pride  and  stubbornness 
arisen  to  such  a  pitch  that  you  will  not  do  the  most  reasona- 
ble things,  though  God  beseech  you  ?"  *  *  * 

"  In  his  name  I  plead.  You  may  now  disregard  the  voice 
of  a  dying  fellow  mortal.     Let  him  be  forgotten.     But  will 


DR.    NETTLETON.  287 

you  not  hear  the  voice  of  God  ?  Hear,  O  heavens,  and  give 
ear,  O  earth,  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  !  His  commanding 
voice  to  every  sinner  present,  is,  '  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God.1 
Have  you  not  continued  long  enough  in  your  rebellion  ? 
Have  you  not  long  enough  resisted  his  call  ?  And  will  you 
now  again  turn  away  from  him  that,  speaketh  from  heaven  1 
Will  you  not  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  heavenly  charmer — 
your  bleeding  Saviour  ?  Have  you  no  repentance — not  a 
tear  to  shed  for  the  sins  which  nailed  him  to  the  cross. 

"  Sinners,  must  I  leave  you  where  I  found  you,  unrecon- 
ciled to  God  ?  Your  business  is  not  with  a  fellow  mortal.  I 
have  done  ;  and  the  whole  remains  to  be  settled  between  God 
and  your  own  souls.  However  hard  you  may  think  this  mes- 
sage, it  is  not  mine.  God  beseeches — God  commands  your 
compliance  noiu.  And  will  you  raise  your  feeble  arm  to 
oppose  ?  God  is  on  the  throne  ;  and  have  you  an  arm  like 
God  ?  However  opposed  you  may  be,  yet  God  is  on  the 
throne,  and  what  can  you  do  ?  God  is  on  the  throne,  and 
will  dash  his  enemies  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 

"  Before  I  close,  I  must  remind  you  that  with  some  of  you, 
this  may  be  the  last  call — the  last  offer  of  peace  which  God 
will  ever  send  you.  But  a  different  message  will  soon  arrive. 
You  will  shortly  hear  again  from  your  offended  Sovereign. 
Before  the  setting  of  the  sun,  the  messenger  of  death  may  be 
despatched  with  a  commission  to  drag  some  guilty  soul  to  his 
dread  tribunal.      He  may  now  be  even  at  the  door. 

"  By  the  mercies  of  God,  and  by  the  terrors  of  his  wrath — 
by  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  by  the  pains  of  hell — by  the  merits 
of  a  Saviour's  blood,  and  by  the  worth  of  your  immortal  souls, 
I  beseech  you,  lay  down  the  arms  of  your  rebellion  ;  bow, 
and  submit  to  your  rightful  Sovereign.  Oppose,  and  still  he 
will  reign.  For  God  hath  set  his  king  upon  his  holy  hill  of 
Zion,  and  hath  sworn  by  himself  that  unto  him  every  knee 
shall  bow. 


288 


M  E  M  O  I  R     OF 


"  Once  he  has  descended  with  a  message  of  peace  and 
good  will  to  men.  But  shortly  he  will  be  '  revealed  from 
heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance 
on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting 
destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  a?id  from  the  glory 
of  his  power.'' " 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  some  extracts  of  letters  to  his 
friends,  illustrating  his  doctrinal  views,  will  now  be  intro- 
duced. 

The  following  is  from  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Woods,  of  Andover,  dated  May  6,  1829. 

"  You  have  doubtless  read  Erskine  on  the  '  Unconditional 
freeness  of  the  gospel.'  The  writer  doubtless  wishes  to  pro- 
mote the  cause  of  religion.  But  the  tendency  of  the  work,  I 
do  think,  is  directly  to  defeat  that  object. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  my  ministry,  the  sentiments  of  Her- 
vey  and  Marshall  I  found,  in  many  places,  meeting  and 
checking  the  progress  of  conviction  in  some  sinners,  and  giv- 
ing false  peace  to  others.  I  have  found  some  studying  Mar- 
shall's '  Gospel  .Mystery  of  Sanctification,'  and  trying  to 
believe  it;  but  conscience,  awakened  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
would  not  suffer  them  to  rest  in  a  belief  that  their  sins  were 
pardoned  while  they  had  no  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart. 
I  was  invited  to  a  house  to  converse  with  an  interesting  young 
lady  who  had  been  long  anxious  for  her  soul.  Many  efforts 
had  been  made  to  give  her  consolation  ;  but  in  vain.  '  What 
do  you  think   of  this  book  V  said   she.     '  It  is   Marshall  on 

Sanctification,  and  was  recommended  to  me  by ,  and  if  I 

dared  believe  it  I  should  think  I  was  a  christian.'  '  I  am  glad 
you  dare  not  believe  it.  There  is  some  part  of  it,  at  least, 
which  you  ought  not  to  believe,'  was  my  answer.  I  per- 
ceived that  her  conscience  was  more  orthodox  than  the 
author.     She  gave  it  up.     Her  convictions  increased  and  soon 


Dll  .     N  E  TT  E  ET  0    1   ,  289 

terminated  in  hopeful  conversion.  The  faith  which  Marshall 
required,  did  not  commend  itself  to  her  conscience.  Believ- 
ing that  her  sins  were  pardoned,  against  the  dictates  of  con- 
science and  the  Bible,  seemed  to  her  like  believing  a  lie,  to 
make  it  true.  How  to  reconcile  this,  I  suppose  Marshall 
found  to  be  a  '  mystery.'  Hence  the  title  of  his  book. 
Hence,  too,  the  more  the  conscience  is  awakened  to  perform 
its  office,  the  more  difficult  divines  of  this  description  find  it 
to  deal  with  sinners.  The  great  object,  they  think,  is  to  give 
sinners  peace.  And  all  their  efforts  are  directed  to  this  sin- 
gle object.  When  the  sinner  begins  to  see  his  character  and 
condition  in  some  measure  as  it  really  is  : — when  the  word 
of  God  begins  to  take  effect,  and  conscience  to  perform  its 
office,  every  effort  is  made  to  counteract  the  very  means 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  employs  to  bring  the  sinner  to  a 
reconciliation.  Erskine  agrees  substantially  with  Marshall  in 
his  views  of  faith.  It  consists  in  believing  that  our  sins  are 
pardoned.  He  has  built  his  system  upon  Hervey  and  Mar- 
shall, with  this  wonderful  improvement,  that  we  are  not  re- 
quired to  believe  a  lie  to  make  it  true  ;  for  the  sins  of  all  man- 
kind are  pardoned,  whether  they  believe  it  or  not.  Pardon  is- 
universal  and  unconditioned.  The  atonement  is  itself  the  par- 
don, and  is  unaffected  by  ma?i's  belief  or  unbelief  While  in 
all  their  rebellion  and  infidelity,  it  is  lavished  upon  the  mass  of 
the  guilty  without  discrimination.  The  use  of  faith  is  not  to 
remove  the  penalty,  or  to  make  the  pardon  better ;  for  the  pen- 
alty is  removed,  and  the  pardon  is  proclaimed,  whether  we  believe 
it  or  not ;  but  to  give  the  pardon  a  moral  infuence,  by  which  it 
mau  heed  the  spiritual  disease  of  the  soul.  Mankind  are  sanc- 
tified by  their  belief  of  the  pardon. 

"  I  cannot  but  notice  how  one  error  grows  out  of  another. 
The  definition  of  Atonement  is  '  the  actual  removal  of 
six.'  If  so,  then  it  must  include  pardon  irrespective  of  char- 
acter, antecedent  to  faith,  or  repentance,  or  conversion,  and  of 
course,  limited  to  the  elect.  And  faith  consists  in  believing 
25 


290 


M  £  M  O  I  11    OF 


that  our  sins  are  pardoned,  and  that  we  are  of  the  elect.  But 
to  avoid  this  difficulty,  limited  atonement  becomes  unlimited  ; 
and  so  the  atonement  is  made  for  all  mankind.  Therefore, 
pardon  is  lavished  upon  all  mankind.  This  is  the  most  plau- 
sible scheme  of  universalis*!!  that  I  have  ever  seen.  If  man- 
kind can  only  be  made  to  believe  that  their  sins  are  pardoned, 
this  will  make  them  love  God — restore  the  key-stone  of  the 
— saactfy  them — give  peace  of  conscience  and  justify  them. 
Now  all  this  being  taken  for  granted,  without  one  text  to 
prove  it,  and  with  the  whole  Bible  against  him,  ('  He  that 
belie veth  not  is  condemned  already,  cud  the  wrath  of  God 
abideth  on  him,'  &c.)  he  adopts  every  method  in  his  power,  to 
make  all  his  readers  believe  that  their  sins  are  pardoned.  To 
doubt  this,  must  be  a  great  crime.  Unbelief  is  the  greatest 
sin,  and  the  more  conscience  awakes  to  perform  its  office  of 
conviction,  the  more  guilty  and  criminal  is  the  sinner  for 
listening  to  its  admonitions.  When  the  Spirit  of  God  is  con- 
vincing of  sin,  and  the  commandment  comes  and  sin  revives  ; 
and  when  the  sinner  sees  and  feels  that  he  is  lost  and  needs 
pardon — he  tries  to  take  it  off  by  convincing  him  that  it 
is  all  false  alarm.  If  he  does  not  believe  that  his  sins  are 
pardoned  before  he  has  one  thought  of  repentance,  or  of  ask- 
ing it,  the  poor  man  makes  God  a  liar.  '  He  that  belie  veth 
not,'  *:  e.  that  his  sins  are  pardoned,  '  hath  made  him  a  liar.' 

"  The  evil  produced  by  such  a  book,  from  the  pen  of  one 
who  has  already  acquired  a  reputation  as  a  writer,  and  a 
christian,  cannot  be  calculated  in  this  world.  Here  are  false 
views  of  faith,  of  the  atonement,  of  pardon,  and  of  justifica- 
tion, which  he  makes  to  consist  in  a  sense  of  pardon.  There 
is  no  such  thing  as  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart.  But 
believing  that  our  sins  are  pardoned,  will  produce  that 
change — make  us  love  God,  and  thus  give  peace  and  confidence, 
and  restore  the  keystone  of  the  arch. 

"  I  cannot  but  express  my  full  conviction  that  the  senti- 
ments contained  in  that  book,  are  more  directly  calculated  to 


DR.     NETTLETON.  29 1 

prevent  conviction  of  sin,  and  to  put  a  stop  to  genuine 
revivals  of  religion,  than  any  thing  which  has  ever  been 
published." 

The  following  is-  also  from  a  letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Woods, 
and  dated  June  18th,  1834.  Speaking  of  a  certain  class  of 
divines,  he  says  :  "  They  admit  that  there  is  a  tendency,  or 
propensity  to  sin,  in  the  very  constitution  of  the  human  mind  ;" 
but  they  deny  that  this  tendency  is  sinful.  They  also  admit 
that  '*  every  effect  must  have  a  cause,  and  that  this  cause  must 
be  prior  to  the  effect. " 

*c  Now  I  observe  that  the  objections  which  they  alledge 
against  the  views  of  their  opponents,  lie  equally  against  their 
own.  It  will  be  no  easier  for  the  sinner  to  repent  and  believe 
against  this  propensity  to  sin,  than  it  was  while  it  was  called 
a  '  sinful  propensity.'  Changing  the  name  of  a  lion  into 
that  of  a  lamb,  will  not  alter  its  nature.  This  propensity  to 
sin,  they  admit,  does  all  the  mischief;  and  will  it  do  any  the 
less,  in  consequence  of  being  called  an  '  innocent  or  harmless 
propensity.'  Or  will  the  sinner  be  any  more  likely  to  be  on 
his  guard,  and  to  watch  and  fight  against  it  ?  Directly  the 
reverse.  But  why  object  to  calling  an  '  infallible  tendency  or 
propensity  to  sin,  a  sinful  propensity.'  '  Then,'  say  they, 
'  regeneration  must  consist  in  removing  it.'  But  suppose  you 
give  it  any  other  name,  e.  g.  evil,  bad,  vile,  vicious,  pernicious, 
or  dangerous,  then,  also,  regeneration  must  consist  in  remov- 
ing it.  Go  one  step  farther,  and  call  it  calamitous,  we  should 
still  think  that  regeneration  consisted  in  removing  this  calami- 
tous propensity  to  sin.  Venture  one  step  further,  and  allay 
the  fears  of  sinners  entirely.  Call  it  an  innocent  propensity, 
and  then  it  need  not  be  removed  by  regeneration.  And  yet 
one  would  be  at  a  loss  to  see  how  their  scheme  can  be  made 
consistent  with  itself.  One  would  think  that  an  infallible 
tendency  to  sin  would  need  to  be  removed  in  regeneration,  or 
that  regeneration  could  never  take  place.  If  '  every  efFect 
must,  have  a  cause,  and  this  cause  must  be  prior  to  the  effect/ 


292  MEMOIR     OF 

then  no  sinner  ever  did,  or  ever  will  put  forth  a  holy  choice 
until  this  infallible  tendency  to  sin  be  removed,  and  succeeded 
by  an  infallible  tendency  to  holiness  ;  unless  an  infallible  ten- 
dency to  sin  can  be  the  cause  of  a  holy  choice.  This  latter 
opinion  they  seem  to  have  adopted.  They  discard  the  prin- 
ciple that  '  like  produces  like,'  and  assume  another,  viz.  that 
a  '  fountain  can,'  and  actually  doth,  '  send  forth  at  the  same 
place,  sweet  water  and  bitter.'  *  Men  do  gather  grapes  of 
thorns  and  figs  of  thistles.'  We  have  heard  the  new  philos- 
ophy, that,  all  trees  are  by  nature  alike,  neither  good  nor  bad, 
until  they  bear  fruit.  And  then,  the  fruit  is  not  good,  but  the 
tree  is  good  only  because  the  fruit  is  good,  and  vice  versa. 
'  Make  the  tree  good  and  the  fruit  will  be  good,'  said  our 
Saviour,  '  for  the  tree  is  known  by  the  fruit,'  Make  the  fruit 
good,  and  the  fruit  will  be  good,  says  the  new  philosophy  ;  for 
the  fruit  is  known  by  the  fruit.  Nothing  is  good  or  bad  but 
fruit.  There  can  be  nothing  in  the  tree  itself  back  of  the 
fruit  but  what  is  common  to  all  trees — '  pura  natural ia.' 

"  But  how  do  they  dispose  of  this  '  propensity  to  sin,  in 
pressing  the  obligations  of  sinners  ? 

1 .  "  They  give  this  propensity  a  soft  name — deny  its  sinful- 
ness altogether,  and  do  not  even  call  it  bad,  or  dangerous. 

2.  "  They  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  sinner  an  excuse  for 
retaining  his  propensity  to  sin  in  all  its  strength. 

3.  "  They  call  upon  him  to  exercise  no  other  repentance  or 
faith  than  that  which  is  consistent  with  the  existence  of  this 
infallible  tendency  or  propensity  to  sin  in  all  its  strength. 

4.  "  They  adopt,  for  his  accommodation,  a  new  theory  of 
regeneration.  '  It  has  been  said  by  some,  that  regeneration 
consists  in  removing  this  sinful  .bias  which  is  anterior  to  actual 
volition.'  This  they  deny.  But  whether  we  call  this  propen- 
sity sinful,  or  not,  all  orthodox  divines,  who  have  admitted  its 
existence,  have,  I  believe,  united  in  the  opinion  that  regenera- 
tion does  consist  in  removing  it.  This,  certainly,  was  the 
opinion  of   Edwards  ;  and  it  constituted  the  principal  differ- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  293 

ence  between  him  and  Dr.  John  Taylor.  It  was,  also,  the 
very  quintessence  of  his  treatise  on  Religious  Affections. 
Until  this  tendency  to  sin  be  removed,  it  is  absolutely  certain 
that  true  repentance  never  can  begin.  It  is  turning  from  the 
love,  to  the  loathing  of  sin.  '  The  heart,'  says  Edwards,  '  can 
have  no  tendency  to  make  itself  better,  until  it  first  has  a  bet- 
ter tendency .'  No  sinner  ever  did,  or  ever  will  make  a  holy 
choice  prior  to  an  inclination,  bias,  or  tendency  to  holiness. 
On  the  whole,  their  views  of  depravity,  of  regeneration,  and  of 
the  mode  of  preaching  to  sinners,  I  think  cannot  fail  of  doing 
very  great  mischief.  This  exhibition  overlooks  the  most 
alarming  features  of  human  depravity,  and  the  very  essence 
of  experimental  religion.  It  is  directly  calculated  to  prevent 
sinners  from  coming  under  conviction  of  sin,  and  to  make 
them  think  well  of  themselves  while  in  an  unregenerate  state. 
It  flatters  others  with  the  delusion  that  they  may  give,  or  have 
given,  their  hearts  to  God,  while  their  propensity  to  sin 
remains  in  all  its  strength.  Entertaining  this  delusion,  they 
cannot  be  converted.  Every  sinner  under  deep  conviction  of 
sin,  knows  this  statement  to  be  false,  so  far  as  his  own  expe- 
rience is  concerned.  The  progress  of  conviction  is  ordinarily 
as  follows: — Trouble  and  alarm.  1.  On  account  of  outward 
sins.  2.  On  account  of  sinful  thoughts.  3.  On  account  of 
hardness  of  heart,  deadness  and  insensibility  to  divine  things  ; 
tendency,  bias,  proneness,  or  propensity  to  sin,  both  inferred 
and  felt.  And  this  the  convicted  sinner  always  regards  not 
merely  as  calamitous,  but  as  awfully  criminal  in  the  sight  of 
God.  And  the  sinner  utterly  despairs  of  salvation  without  a 
change  in  this  propensity  to  sin.  And  while  he  feels  this 
propensity  to  be  thus  criminal,  he  is  fully  aware  that  if  God  by 
a  sovereign  act  of  his  grace,  does  not  interpose  to  remove  or 
change  it,  he  shall  never  give  his  heart  to  God,  nor  make 
one  holy  choice.  If  the  sinner  has  not  felt  this,  he  has 
not  yet  been  under  conviction  of  sin,  or  felt  his  need  of 
regeneration. 

25* 


294  MEMOIR     OF 

"  Those  who  adopt  the  views  I  am  considering,  exhort  the 
sinner  to  do  that  only  which  leaves  his  propensity  to  sin  in 
all  its  strength.  Hence  conversions  are  made  as  easy  as  yon 
can  turn  your  hand.  It  is  only  to  resolve  and  the  work  is 
done.  They  do  in  effect  tell  their  hearers,  and  their  readers, 
what  the  most  godly  christians  certainly  find  it  the  most  diffi- 
cult to  believe,  that  their  propensity  to  sin,  however  strong  it 
may  be,  is  not  criminal,  but  only  calamitous — that  they  need 
not  be  alarmed  at  this  awful  propensity  to  sin — that  they  need 
not,  for  God  does  not,  regard  it  with  displeasure — that  they 
can  neither  change  it  themselves,  nor  are  required  to  do  it — 
and  that  they  need  not  ask  or  even  expect  God  to  do  it  for 
them.  Such  a  sentiment,  however  abhorrent  to  the  ear  and 
to  the  heart  of  piety,  is,  nevertheless,  perfectly  congenial  with 
the  feelings  of  all  the  most  hardened  in  sin  ;  and  unless  their 
consciences  are  more  orthodox  than  such  preaching,  they  will 
never  be  converted.  Every  step  in  the  progress  of  conviction 
and  conversion  is  in  direct  opposition  to  these  sentiments.  I 
know  that  converts  may  be  made  by  hundreds  and  by  thou- 
sands on  these  principles,  with  perfect  ease ;  for  so  it  has 
been  in  former  times  among  the  Christ-ians  and  others  in 
New  England,  as  I  have  had  full  opportunity  to  know.  But 
piety  never  did,  and  never  will  descend  far  in  the  line  of  such 
sentiments.  Were  I  to  preach  in  this  manner,  I  do  solemnly 
believe  that  I  should  be  the  means  of  healing  the  heart  of 
awakened  sinners  slightly,  of  crying  peace,  peace,  when  there 
is  no  peace,  and  of  throwing  the  whole  weight  of  my  minis- 
terial influence  on  the  side  of  human  rebellion  against  God.  " 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  letters  written  at 
different  times,  and  to  different  individuals. 

Speaking  of  the*  character  of  infants,  he  says,  "  For  one  I 
do  solemnly  believe  that  God  views  and  treats  them  in  all 
respects,  just  as  he  would  do  if  they  were  sinners.  To  say 
that  animals  die,  and  therefore  that  death  can  be  no  proof  of 


DR.    NETTLETON.  295 

sin  in  infants,  is  to  take  infidel  ground.  The  infidel  has  just 
as  good  a  right  to  say,  because  animals  die  without  being  sin- 
ners, therefore  adults  may.  If  death  may  reign  to  such  an 
alarming  extent  over  the  human  race,  and  be  no  proof  of  sin  ; 
then  it  may  reign  to  any  extent  in  the  universe  and  be  no  proof 
of  sin.  Consequently  what  Paul  says,  '  Death  by  sin,  and  so 
death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned,'  cannot 
be  true." 

In  another  letter,  speaking  of  the  consequences  of  denying 
the  depravity  of  infants,  he  says,  "  It  is  to  deny  that  they  need 
redemption  by  Christ,  and  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
or  if  they  do  need  redemption,  it  must  be  redemption  from 
something  which  is  not  sin  in  any  sense  ;  and  if  they  need 
regeneration,  it  must  be  a  change  of  something  which  is  not 
sinful  in  any  sense.  If  the  soul  be  innocent,  it  can  be  re- 
deemed from  nothing,  and  can  never  join  the  song  of  the 
redeemed,  '  unto  him  that  loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our 
sins  in  his  own  blood.'  If  the  soul  be  innocent,  it  can  be 
regenerated  only  for  the  worse." 

Speaking  of  the  theory  which  accounts  for  the  fact  that  sin- 
ners do  not  love  God,  by  supposing  that  his  character  is  not 
clearly  seen — that  divine  things  are  too  remote  and  unreal  to 
call  forth  the  affections  of  their  hearts,  he  says,  "  when  brought 
near  and  real,  they  will  draw  forth  the  opposition  of  the  heart. 
You  may  destroy  the  sinner's  earthly  plans,  break  up  all  his 
interest  in  the  concerns  of  time — fill  his  mind  with  all  the 
solemn  realities  of  death,  judgment  and  eternity— bring  him 
under  the  most  powerful  convictions  of  sin  ;  and  the  selfish 
principle  may  be  more  active  this  very  moment  than  ever,  in 
building  up  a  righteousness,  or  in  quarreling  with  God  about 
the  terms  of  salvation.  It  is  sometimes  taken  for  granted  that 
if  the  sinner  had  clear  views  of  the  character  of  God,  he 
would  love  him.  But  facts  prove  the  contrary.  Sinners  in 
the  last  stages  of  conviction,  who  have  lost  all  interest  in  the 
concerns  of  time — sinners  too  on   a  dying  bed,  who   care 


296 


MEMOIR    OF 


nothing  for  the  world,  feel  more  opposition  than  ever.  At  this 
very  crisis,  when  time  with  all  its  concerns  has  dwindled 
into  nothing,  the  sinner  for  the  first  time,  discovers  the  appal- 
ling truth,  that  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God.  The 
selfish  principle,  the  carnal  mind,  with  all  its  enmity  against 
God,  remains  in  full  strength,  until  slain,  or  taken  away  by 
the  act  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  '  Even  when  we  were  dead,  hath 
quickened  us  together  with  Christ.' " 

In  another  letter,  speaking  of  the  theory  that  "  God  prefers, 
all  things  considered,  holiness  to  sin  in  all  instances  in  which 
the  latter  takes  place,"  he  says,  "If  this  be  so,  the  question 
arises,  why  does  not  God  place  holiness  in  the  lieu  of  sin  in 
a  given  case  1  The  answer  is,  '  God  cannot  sustain  the  great- 
est amount  of  holiness  in  the  universe,  without  that  influence 
which  results  from  the  existence  of  sin  and  its  punishment.' 
He  needs  therefore  the  influence  which  will  result  from  the 
punishment  of  this  sin.  This  is  God's  reason  for  not  placing 
holiness  in  the  lieu  of  this  sin,  though  he  desires  it,  in  itself 
considered,  and  all  things  considered.  He  cannot  do  it  with- 
out putting  it  out  of  his  power  to  sustain  the  greatest  amount 
of  holiness.  And  yet  he  sincerely  desires  that  the  sinner 
would  do  it  without  divine  influence.  Now  suppose  the  sin- 
ner should  do  it.  According  to  this  theory,  he  would  put  it 
out  of  God's  power  to  sustain  the  greatest  amount  of  holiness. 
Consequently,  if  the  theory  be  true,  God  sincerely  desires  that 
sinners  would  put  it  out  of  his  power  to  sustain  the  greatest 
amount  of  holiness. 

"  It  is  supposed  that  if  this  theory  is  not  true,  sin  must  be 
excellent  in  itself.  Is  there  no  other  alternative  ?  If  God 
brings  light  out  of  darkness,  order  out  of  confusion,  and  good 
out  of  evil,  are  darkness,  confusion  and  evil,  good  in  them- 
selves ?  May  they  not,  by  contrast,  show  light,  order  and 
good,  to  better  advantage  ?  So  '  our  unrighteousness  may  com- 
mend the  righteousness  of  God.''  " 

The  foregoing  extracts,  which  might  be  greatly  extended, 


DR.    NETTLETON.  297 

will  serve  to  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  Dr.  Nettleton's 
theological  views. 

It  is  well  known  that  within  the  last  quarter  of  a  century, 
there  has  been  considerable  controversy  in  New  England 
respecting  the  best  mode  of  stating  and  defending  the  doc- 
trines of  Calvinism.  On  the  one  hand,  it  has  been  maintained 
that  these  doctrines,  in  the  sense  in  which  they  have  been 
commonly  received,  are  inconsistent  with  sound  philosophy, 
and  that  they  ought  to  give  place  to  more  rational  views.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  has  been  maintained,  that  the  explanations 
proposed,  in  some  instances  at  least,  amount  to  a  virtual 
denial  of  the  doctrines  themselves,  and  to  the  adoption  of  dan- 
gerous errors. 

The  points  of  controversy  relate  principally  to  the  decrees 
and  government  of  God — the  moral  agency  of  man — the 
nature  of  holiness — and  the  doctrines  of  native  depravity, 
regeneration  and  election. 

The  reader,  who  wishes  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 
the  manner  in  which  these  points  have  been  discussed,  is 
referred  to  the  periodicals  and  pamphlets  which  contain  the 
discussion,  and  which  have  been  extensively  circulated  in  the 
christian  community. 

In  this  controversy  Dr.  Nettleton  took  no  public  part.  But 
he  did  not  regard  it  with  indifference.  On  the  contrary  he 
Avatched  its  progress  with  the  deepest  interest,  and  with  an 
eye  fixed  on  its  bearings  upon  christian  experience,  and  revi- 
vals of  religion. 

It  is  evident  from  the  foregoing  extracts  from  his  sermons 
and  letters,  that  his  views  of  the  Calvinistic  doctrines  were 
such  as  were  maintained  by  the  orthodox  ministers  of  New 
England,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  The  new 
views,  therefore,  which  were  put  forth  as  improvements,  he 
did  not  receive.  They  did  not  appear  to  him  to  be  improve- 
ments. On  the  contrary,  he  believed  them  to  be  erroneous, 
and  of  dangerous  tendency.     From  the  first  promulgation  of 


298  MEMOIR     OF 

them,  he  was  grieved  and  alarmed  ;  and  his  sorrow  was  ren- 
dered the  more  intense  by  the  fact,  that  some  of  the  advocates 
of  these  views,  were  brethren  with  whom  he  had  labored  in 
revivals,  and  been  on  terms  of  the  most  endearing  intimacy. 
The  pain  of  Whitefield  was  not  greater,  when  his  friend  and 
brother,  John  Wesley,  avowed  his  hostility  to  Calvinism,  than 
was  that  of  Dr.  Nettleton  when  these  brethren  whom  he  ten- 
derly loved,  began  to  maintain  and  propagate  opinions  which 
seemed  to  him  to  be  unscriptural,  and  to  be  adapted  to  injure 
the  cause  of  revivals. 

His  strength  had  been  spent  in  revivals  ;  and  it  had  been 
his  constant  aim  to  elevate  their  character  by  sedulously 
guarding  against  every  thing  which  was  suited  to  mar  their 
purity,  or  weaken  their  power  over  the  consciences  of  men. 
And  it  was  his  settled  conviction,  that  the  purity  of  revivals 
depends  greatly  on  the  faithfulness  with  which  the  doctrines 
of  the  cross  are  preached.  He  had  observed  that  when  the 
standard  of  orthodoxy  is  lowered,  the  danger  of  delusion  is 
increased,  and  the  character  of  revivals  is  injured.  He  was 
"  well  aware  that  popular  excitements,  without  doctrinal 
instruction,"  (or  with  false  doctrinal  instruction,)  "  may  be 
called  revivals  ;  and  that  zeal  without  knowledge  may  glory 
in  the  multiplication  of  its  converts.  But  such  excitements 
are  no  blessing  to  the  church." 

It  was  the  full  conviction  of  Dr.  Nettleton  that  all  genuine 
religious  experience  is  based  on  correct  views  of  the  doctrines 
of  grace,  and  consequently,  that  the  religious  experience  of 
those  whose  views  of  these  doctrines  are  defective,  or  essen- 
tially erroneous,  will  be  in  like  degree  defective  or  spurious. 
He  felt,  as  we  have  seen,  the  great  importance  of  exhibiting 
clearly  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  in  revivals  of  religion  ;  and 
hence  he  regarded  those  theological  speculations  which 
seemed  to  him  to  obscure,  or  utterly  to  subvert  these  doctrines, 
as  directly  tending  to  corrupt  revivals,  and  in  this  way,  to 
destroy  the  souls  of  men.     The  opinions   above  referred  to, 


DR.     NETTLETON.  299 

seemed  to  him  to  have,  some  of  them  in  a  greater,  and  some 
in  a  less  degree,  this  dangerous  tendency. 

Whether  his  apprehensions  were  well  founded,  is  a  ques- 
tion which  will  be  differently  decided  by  different  individuals, 
according  to  the  views  which  they  entertain  of  the  contro- 
verted points.  The  controversy  is  to  be  settled  by  an  appeal, 
not  to  the  opinions  of  fallible  men,  but  to  the  decisions  of  the 
word  of  God.  The  views  of  Dr.  Nettleton  are  introduced, 
not  for  the  purpose  of  proving  that  those  with  whom  he  sym- 
pathized in  this  controversy  were  right ;  but  simply  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  a  correct  history  of  his  life.  That  he  felt 
deeply  in  relation  to  this  controversy,  and  that,  he  considered 
some  of  the  views  which  were  maintained  and  defended,  to 
be  errors,  dangerous  to  the  souls  of  men,  is  well  known  by  all 
who  had  any  intercourse  with  him.  Such  being  his  convic- 
tions, he  could  not  hold  his  peace.  It  was,  indeed,  painful 
to  him  to  disagree  with  his  brethren ;  but  he  felt  himself  laid 
under  solemn  obligations  to  maintain  what  he  believed  to  be 
the  truth,  and  to  bear  testimony  against  what  seemed  to  him 
to  be  dangerous  error,  whatever  sacrifice  it  might  cost  him. 
Accordingly  he  said  to  one  of  his  brethren,  "  such  is  my  con- 
viction of  the  tendency  of  these  views  to  corrupt  revivals,  and 
produce  spurious  conversions,  that  if  all  New  England  should 
go  over,  I  should  prefer  to  stand  alone." 

But  while  he  was  thus  decided  in  the  maintenance  of  his 
own  religious  opinions,  he  entertained  the  kindest  feelings 
towards  those  of  his  brethren  from  whom  he  felt  compelled 
to  differ.  lie  was,  as  has  been  already  remarked,  grieved 
that  their  influence  should  be  exerted  to  promote,  what  he 
considered  the  cause  of  error  ;  and  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to 
expostulate  with  them.  With  some  of  them  he  maintained 
repeated  and  long  discussions.  But  he  never  engaged  in 
bitier  and  angry  controversy.  lie  always  treated  his  brethren 
with  kindness.  lie  never  impeached  their  motives,  nor 
depreciated  their  talents,  nor   aspersed   their  characters  by 


300  MEMOIR    OF 

loading  them  with  reproachful  epithets.  And  his  brethren,  I 
trust,  never  doubted  the  sincerity  of  his  heart,  however  much 
they  may  have  been  grieved  by  the  alarm  which  he  felt,  and 
expressed,  at  their  supposed  errors. 

One  of  these  brethren  made  him  a  visit,  at  a  period  during 
his  last  sickness,  when  in  his  own  dew,  and  that  of  his 
friends,  he  was  near  the  close  of  life.  The  interview  was 
tender  and  affectionate.  It  revived  the  recollection  of  many 
past  scenes  of  thrilling  interest.  Nothing  was  said  in  regard 
to  theological  differences.  Two  days  after  this  interview,  Dr. 
Nettleton  wrote  to  this  brother  the  following  letter. 

"  My  Dear  Brother : 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  visit,  and  the  sympathy  which  you 
manifested  in  my  affliction.  The  sight  of  your  face  revived 
many  tender  recollections.  There  were  many  things  which 
I  wished  to  say  to  you,  but  my  strength  would  not  permit. 
How  long  I  am  to  linger  on  these  mortal  shores,  I  know  not. 
But  as  you  are  aware,  I  consider  myself  near  to  the  eternal 
world  ;  and  I  wish  to  say,  that  my  views  of  the  great  doctrines 
which  I  preached  twenty-five  years  ago,  have  not  altered. 
They  appear  to  me  more  precious  than  ever.  I  wish  also  to 
say,  that  1  have  the  same  views  of  some  of  your  published 
writings,  which  I  have  often  expressed  to  you  in  years  past. 
I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  love  you.  You  know  that  I  have 
ever  loved  you.  You  know  also  that  1  have  been  grieved  and 
distressed  that  you  should  have  adopted  and  publicly  main- 
tained sentiments  which  I  cannot  but  regard  as  eminently  dan- 
gerous to  the  souls  of  men.  I  impeach  not  your  motives.  I 
judge  not  your  heart.  I  would  cherish  the  hope  that  your 
own  religious  experience  is  at  variance  with  some  things 
which  you  have  published  ;  particularly  on  the  subject  of  self- 
love,  arid  the  great  doctrine  of  regeneration.  It  does  seem 
to  me,  I  experienced  all  which  you  make  essential  to  regene- 
ration, while,  as  I  now  fully  believe,  my  heart  was  unrecon- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  301 

ciled  to  God.  And  this  is  the  reason  which  leads  me  to  fear 
that  what  you  have  written,  will  be  the  means  of  deceiving 
and  destroying  souls.  I  say  this  with  the  kindest  feelings, 
and  with  eternity  in  view.  Receive  it  as  my  dying  testimony, 
and  as  an  expression  of  my  sincere  love.  Farewell,  my 
brother.  We  shall  soon  meet  at  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ. 
God  grant  that  we  may  meet  in  heaven. 

"  Your  affectionate  friend  and  brother, 

"  ASAHEL  NETTLETON." 

East-Windsor,  Jan.  19,  1843. 

This  letter  is  inserted  here,  not  to  prove  that  Dr.  Nettleton 
was  right  in  his  theological  views,  and  his  brethren  wrong ; 
but  to  correct  two  false  impressions  which  have  been  made, 
to  some  extent,  on  the  public  mind.  One  is,  that  Dr.  Nettle- 
ton  felt  a  bitter  hostility  towards  those  brethren  from  whom 
he  differed.  The  other  is,  that  in  the  near  prospect  of  death, 
his  views  underwent  an  important  change  in  respect  to  the 
tendency  of  those  speculations  which  had  caused  him  so 
much  solicitude.  Neither  of  these  impressions  is  correct,  as 
this  letter  fully  evinces.  He  never  entertained  unkind  feel- 
ings towards  his  brethren  ;  and  his  views  of  christian  doctrine 
remained  unaltered  to  the  last.  The  great  truths  which  he 
maintained  through  life,  were  his  stay  and  solace  amid  the 
pangs  of  dissolving  nature,  and  in  the  near  prospect  of  an 
eternal  retribution.  He  doubtless  now  knows  what  is  truth 
on  those  points,  respecting  which  he  and  his  brethren  differed. 
They  also  will  soon  know.  They  and  he  will  soon  meet  at 
the  judgment  seat  of  Christ ;  and  let  every  reader  unite  in 
the  prayer  that  they  may  meet  in  heaven. 


26 


CHAPTER   XIV 


His  last  Sickness  and  Death. 


The  sickness  of  Dr.  Nettleton  in  1822,  gave  a  shock  to  his 
constitution  from  which  it  never  recovered.  For  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  time  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  he 
was  exceedingly  feeble  ;  and  at  no  time  was  he  able  to  engage 
in  arduous  labor.  Still  he  was  not  entirely  laid  aside.  He 
preached,  as  we  have  seen,  in  many  places,  and  in  some  with 
great  success.  Finding  the  climate  of  New  England  too 
severe  for  his  enfeebled  constitution  during  the  winter  months, 
he  usually,  for  a  number  of  years,  spent  them  at  the  South  ; 
and  by  great  care  in  avoiding  excitement  and  excessive 
fatigue,  he  was  able  to  enjoy  a  comfortable  degree  of  health, 
for  most  of  the  time,  until  the  summer  of  1841,  when  he  began 
to  be  afflicted  with  urinary  calculi,  which  soon  confined  him 
to  the  house,  and  subjected  him  to  great  bodily  sufTerino-. 
Finding  no  relief  from  medical  prescriptions,  and  being  redu- 
ced to  that  state  in  which  it  was  evident  he  could  live  but  a 
short  time,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1843,  he  submitted  to  the 
operation  of  lithotomy,  by  which  he  obtained  partial  relief, 
and  hopes  were  entertained,  for  a  season,  of  his  entire  recov- 
ery. But  after  a  few  months,  it  became  manifest,  that  the  dis- 
ease was  returning  upon  him.  His  sufferings  again  became 
exceedingly  great,  till  on  the  8th  of  December,  1843,  he  sub- 
mitted to  a  second  operation.  For  some  time,  he  appeared  to 
be  doing  well,  and  hopes  were  again  entertained  of  his  recov- 


DR.     NETTLETON.  303 

ery.  But  these  hopes  were  not  realized.  He  continued  in 
a  feeble  state  until  the  16th  of  May,  1814,  when  the  powers 
of  nature  failed,  and  he  resigned  his  spirit  into  the  hand  of 
God  who  gave  it. 

During  his  protracted  and  severe  sufferings,  his  piety  was 
subjected  to  a  new  test.  We  have  seen  its  efficacy  in  prompt- 
ing him,  while  in  health,  to  the  most  arduous  and  unremitted 
labors  in  the  cause  of  Christ ;  and  it  was  no  less  efficacious 
in  sustaining  him  in  the  day  of  trial.  For  many  months 
together,  his  bodily  pain  was  almost  without  intermission,  and 
exceedingly  great — at  times,  indeed,  excruciating.  But  he 
was  strengthened  to  endure  it  with  patience  and  resignation. 
During  the  whole  of  his  sickness,  he  was  never  heard  to 
utter  a  murmuring  word.  He  was  often  heard  to  say,  "  My 
sufferings  are  great,  but  they  are  nothing  in  comparison  with 
what  I  deserve."  A  large  part  of  the  time  during  his  sick- 
ness, his  mind  was  vigorous  and  active.  He  read  many 
books  during  this  period,  particularly  D'Aubigne's  History  of 
the  Reformation,  with  which  he  was  much  delighted,  Gaus- 
sen  on  Inspiration,  Tracy's  History  of  the  Great.  Awakening, 
the  entire  works  of  the  younger  Edwards,  much  of  the  works 
of  Emmons,  a  large  part  of  the  works  of  Andrew  Fuller,  be- 
sides many  smaller  works.  What  he  read,  he  read  with  great 
attention,  and  he  would  often  make  criticisms  and  comments 
on  the  things  which  he  had  read.  But  the  Bible  was  the  man 
of  his  counsel.  He  would  often  say,  "  there  are  many  good 
books,  but  after  all,  there  is  nothing  like  the  Bible."  And  it 
never  was  so  precious  to  him  as  at  this  period.  Although  he 
had  made  it  his  study  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  had 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  it  to  which  few  attain,  yet  he  found 
it  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  rich  instruction.  He  could  adopt 
the  language  of  the  Psalmist,  "  How  sweet  arc  thy  words  unto 
my  taste ;  yea,  sv)eeter  than  honey  to  my  mouth.  Thy  tes- 
timonies have  I  taken  as  a  heritage  forever ;  for  they  arc  the 


304  MEMOIR     OF 

rejoicing  of  my  heart.  Thy  Statutes  have  been  rny  songs  in 
the  house  of  my  pilgrimage."  *  *  *  *  * 

He  not  only  read  some  portion  of  the  scriptures  every  day, 
but  he  devoted  much  time,  to  a  close  and  critical  study  of  them. 
He  usually  kept  his  Greek  Testament,  and  his  Greek  Con- 
cordance by  him,  and  diligently  compared  different  parts  of 
scripture  with  each  other  in  the  original  language,  that  he 
might  be  sure  to  get  the  precise  meaning.  1  found  him  one 
morning  with  the  Greek  Testament  in  his  hand.  He  said, 
"  you  will  perhaps  wonder  that  I  should  be  reading  this.  You 
may  suppose  that  a  person  in  my  situation,  would  prefer  to 
read  the  translation.  But  I  seem  to  get  nearer  to  the  fountain 
when  I  read  the  original.  It  is  like  drinking  water  at  the 
spring,  rather  than  from  a  vessel  in  which  it  has  been  carried 
away.  By  reading  the  Greek,  I  get  shades  of  meaning,  which 
cannot  be  expressed  in  any  translation."  It  was  common  for 
him  to  entertain  his  friends  with  comments  and  remarks  on 
portions  of  scripture ;  and  these  comments  were  exceedingly 
interesting  and  instructive.  Many  an  individual  has  gone 
away  from  his  bed  side,  with  a  more  lively  sense  of  the  worth 
of  the  Bible,  than  he  ever  felt  before. 

He  was  not  in  the  habit,  during  his  sickness,  of  speaking 
very  often  of  his  own  religious  feelings  ;  but  it  was  manifest 
from  the  whole  strain  of  his  conversation,  and  particularly 
from  the  lively  interest  which  he  took  in  the  truths  of  the 
Bible,  that  he  generally  enjoyed  great  peace  of  mind. 

On  one  occasion,  having  expressed  to  me  his  apprehension 
that  his  disease  was  incurable,  I  inquired  of  him  the  state  of 
his  mind.  He  expressed  entire  submission  to  the  will  of 
God — a  willingness  to  be  in  his  hands,  and  to  be  disposed  of 
according  to  his  pleasure.  He  spoke  of  the  great  deceitful- 
ness  of  the  human  heart,  and  the  danger  of  self-deception  ;  but 
intimated  that  he  had  no  distressing  doubts  and  fears.  He 
manifested  an  ardent  attachment  to  the  doctrines  which  he 
had  preached,  and  seemed  to  derive  from  them  great  support 


DR.    NETTLETOK.  305 

in  the  near  prospect  of  eternity  ;  and  he  expressed  a  peculiar 
love  for  those  of  his  brethren,  who  had  been  decided  in  their 
adherence  to  the  truth,  and  in  their  opposition  to  prevailing 
errors. 

On  another  occasion,  he  conversed  very  freely  concerning 
his  own  spiritual  state.  He  gave  me  a  more  particular  ac- 
count of  his  conversion  than  he  had  ever  done  before.*  It 
brought  to  his  recollection  so  many  tender  scenes,  that  he  was 
greatly  affected  and  wept  abundantly.  He  spake  of  the  doc- 
trines of  grace,  and  said  with  great  emotion,  "  I  do  not  need 
any  body  to  tell  me  that  they  are  true.  I  am  fully  convinced 
of  their  truth,  by  my  own  experience." 

One  morning,  as  I  entered  the  room,  he  said  to  me,  that 
these  words  had  been  running  in  his  mind  : 

'•Death  will  invade  us  by  the  means  appointed, 
Nor  am  I  anxious,  if  I  am  prepared, 
What  shape  he  comes  in. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  he  said,  "  more  of  my  life 
is  written  in  Bunyan's  Grace  abounding  to  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners, than  any  where  else."  He  was  a  great  admirer  of  the 
writings  of  Bunyan,  and  often  referred  to  them  in  illustration 
of  his  own  opinions. 

On  being  asked  whether  he  still  entertained  the  same  views 
of  the  errors,  on  account  of  which  he  had  manifested  sO  much 
solicitude — he  spake  with  great  emotion,  saying,  "  It  is  the 
bearing  which  these  errors  have  upon  the  eternal  interests  of 
men,  which  gives  them  all  their  importance  in  my  estimation. 
It  is  in  view  of  death,  judgment,  and  eternity,  that  I  have 
looked  at  them.  If  I  had  not  regarded  them  as  dangerous  to 
the  souls  of  men,  I  should  have  felt  no  solicitude  respecting 
them." 

At  another  time,  he  wished  me  to  read  to  him  the  following- 
hymn,  in  Wardlaw's  collection. 

The  same  that  is  inserted  in  Chapter  I. 

26* 


306  MEMOIR    OF 

"  1.  Come  let  us  join  our  friends  above, 
That  have  obtained  the  prize  , 
And  on  the  eagle  wings  of  love, 
To  joy  celestial  rise. 

2.  Let  saints  below  in  concert  sing, 
With  those  to  glory  gone  ; 

For  all  the  servants  of  our  king, 
In  heaven  and  earth  are  one. 

3.  One  family,  we  dwell  in  him, 

One  church,  above,  beneath, 
Though  now  divided  by  the  stream, 
The  narrow  stream  of  death. 

4.  One  army  of  the  living  God, 
To  his  command  we  bow, 

Part  of  the  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 
And  part  are  crossing  now. 

5.  Each  moment,  to  their  endless  home, 
Some  parting  spirits  fly  ; 

And  we  are  to  the  margin  come, 
And  soon  expect  to  die. 

6.  Dear  Saviour,  be  our  constant  guide, 
Then,  when  the  word  is  given, 

Bid  death's  cold  stream  and  flood  divide, 
And  land  us  safe  in  heaven." 

He  alluded  to  this  hymn,  several  times,  with  great  interest, 
during  his  sickness. 

On  one  occasion  he  spoke  with  great  feeling  of  those  who 
were  hopefully  converted  in  the  revivals  under  his  preaching, 
and  said,  the  thought  of  meeting  them  in  the  future  world,  was 
often  exceedingly  interesting.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  I  have  never 
allowed  myself  to  be  very  confident  of  arriving  at  heaven,  lest 
the  disappointment  should  be  the  greater.  I  know  that  the 
heart  is  exceedingly  deceitful,  and  that  many  will  be  deceived. 
And  why  am  not  I  as  liable  to  be  deceived  as  others  ?"  He 
spoke  of  the  opinion  maintained  by  some,  that  none  are  ever 
actuated  by  any  other  principle  than  self-love,  and   said,  "  I 


DR.    NETTLETON.  307 

should  have  no  hope  of  being  saved,  if  I  believed  myself  never 
to  have  been  actuated  by  a  higher  principle," 

He  one  day  referred  to  the  words  of  the  apostle,  "  Despise 
not  the  chastening  of  the  Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  rebu- 
ked of  him."  He  observed  that  there  are  two  ways  in  which 
divine  chastisements  are  improperly  received.  One  is,  despi- 
sing them,  that  is,  making  light  of  them — disregarding  them, 
as  a  stubborn,  disobedient  child  sometimes  sets  at  defiance 
and  treats  with  contempt  the  chastisement  of  his  father.  The 
other  is,  fainting  under  them,  that  is,  making  too  much  of 
them,  feeling  as  though  they  were  too  heavy  to  be  borne,  and 
greater  than  we  deserve.  "  We  ought,"  said  he,  "  to  feel  that 
all  our  sufferings,  however  great,  are  light  afflictions,  infinitely 
less  than  we  deserve." 

When  asked  at  one  time,  if  he  did  not  sometimes  get  weary 
of  life,  he  said,  "  It  is  wearisome.  But  I  have  sometimes 
heard  persons  express  a  desire  to  die,  when  it  was  painful  to 
me.  I  desire  to  have  no  will  on  the  subject."  He  felt  that 
it  was  as  much  our  duty  to  be  willing  to  live  and  suffer,  if 
such  be  the  will  of  God,  as  to  be  willing  to  die.  Asking  for 
the  hymn-book,  he  read  the  following  stanza : 

"  Be  this  my  one  great  business  here, 
With  holy  trembling,  holy  fear, 

To  make  my  calling  sure  ; 
Thine  utmost  counsel  to  fulfill, 
And  suffer  all  thy  righteous  will, 

And  to  the  end  endure." 

It  was  very  common  for  him,  when  inquired  of  respecting 
the  state  of  his  mind,  instead  of  giving  a  direct  answer,  to  point 
to  some  hymn,  or  some  passage  of  scripture  as  indicative  of 
his  feelings. 

On  one  occasion,  finding  him  in  very  great  pain,  I  said  to 
him,  "  I  hope  the  Lord  will  give  you  patience."  He  replied, 
"  I  have  need  of  patience."  I  remarked  that  when  suffering 
severe  pain,  it  was   profitable  to  think  of  the  sufferings  of 


;os 


MEMOIR    OF 


Christ.     He  said  that  the  words  of  the  228th  Village  Hymi. 
had  been  running  in  his  mind  all  night. 


1.  "Begone  unbelief ! 

My  Saviour  is  near, 
And  for  m)r  relief 

Will  surely  appear. 
By  prayer  let  me  wrestle, 

And  he  will  perform, 
With  Christ  in  the  vessel, 

I  smile  at  the  storm. 

2.  Determined  to  save, 

He  watched  o'er  my  path, 
When,  Satan's  blind  slave, 

I  sported  with  death  : 
And  can  he  have  taught  me 

To  trust  in  his  name, 
And  thus  far  have  brought  me, 

To  put  me  to  shame  ? 

3.  Why  should  I  complain 

Of  want  or  distress, 
Temptation  or  pain  ? 

He  told  me  no  less  ; 
The  heirs  of  salvation 

I  know  from  his  word, 
Through  much  tribulation, 

Must  follow  their  Lord. 

4.  Though  dark  be  my  way, 

Since  he  is  my  guide, 
'T  is  mine  to  obey, 

'T  is  his  to  provide  ; 
His  way  was  much  rougher, 

And  darker  than  mine  ; 
Did  Jesus  thus  suffer, 

And  shall  I  repine  ? 

5.  His  love  in  time  past, 

Forbids  me  to  think 
He'll  leave  me  at  last 

In  trouble  to  sink  : 
Though  painful  at  present, 

'T  will  cease  before  long, 
And  then,  O  how  pleasant 
The  conqueror's  song." 


DR.    NETTLETON.  309 

Being  one  day  in  very  great  pain,  lie  said  to  me,  "  I  ought 
not  to  complain  ;  but  all  that  I  have  ever  suffered  in  the  course 
of  my  life,  is  nothing  in  comparison  with  this.  But  it  is  noth- 
ing in  comparison  with  what  I  deserve."  "  No,"  said  T,  "  nor 
is  it  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be 
revealed."  He  requested  me  to  take  from  the  shelf  and  hand 
to  him  the  Remains  of  Carlos  Wilcox  ;  and  with  great  interest 
he  read  the  following  lines  : 

"  But  wherefore  will  not  God 
E'en  now,  from  ills  on  others  brought,  exempt 
The  offspring  of  regenerating  grace, 
The  children  of  his  love  ?     Imperfect  yet, 
They  need  the  chastenings  of  eternal  care, 
To  save  them  from  the  wily  blandishments 
Of  error,  and  to  win  their  hearts  away 
From  the  polluting,  ruining  joys  of  earth  !" 

Speaking  at  one  time  of  his  disease,  as  that  which  for  many 
years  he  had  dreaded  more  than  any  other,  he  pointed  me  to 
the  following  passage  in  the  Life  of  Samuel  Pearce,  as  expres- 
sive of  his  own  feelings. 

"  It  was  never,  till  to-day,  that  I  got  any  personal  instruc- 
tion from  our  Lord's  telling  Peter  by  what  death  he  should 
glorify  God.  Oh,  what  a  satisfying  thought,  that.  God  appoints 
those  means  of  dissolution,  whereby  he  gets  most  glory  to 
himself.  It  was  the  very  thing  I  needed  ;  for,  of  all  the  ways 
of  dying,  that  which  I  most  dreaded  was  by  consumption,  (in 
which  it  is  now  most  probable  my  disorder  will  issue.  But 
O,  my  dear  Lord,  if  by  this  death  I  can  most  glorify  thee,  I 
prefer  it  to  all  others,  and  thank  thee  that  by  this  means  thou 
art  hastening  my  fuller  enjoyment  of  thee  in  a  purer  world." 

During  his  sickness,  he  greatly  enjoyed  the  society  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  other  christian  friends  ;  and  was 
often  heard  to  say  that  he  never  loved  his  friends  so  well 
before.  Every  little  favor  shown  him  seemed  deeply  to  affect 
him  and  awaken  emotions  of  gratitude.  He  would  say,  "  O, 
how  kind  this  is." 


310  MEMOIR   or 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1843,  which  was  the  sabbath, 
he  sent  the  following  note  to  the  Seminary  church,  with  a 
request  that  it  should  be  read  at  the  communion. 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton  sends  his  very  affectionate  regards 
to  the  members  of  this  church,  requesting  an  interest  in  their 
prayers,  that  God  would  sanctify  him  wholly  in  spirit,  in  soul, 
and  in  body,  and  prepare  him  for  the  solemn  hour  of  exchang- 
ing worlds,  whenever  it  shall  come." 

The  next  morning  I  called  to  see  him,  and  found  him  in  an 
unusually  happy  frame  of  mind.  After  inquiring  whether  his 
note  was  received,  he  remarked  with  great  animation,  his  eyes 
sparkling  through  the  tears,  that  he  loved  the  church  more 
and  more.  He  expressed  a  peculiar  affection  for  the  students 
of  the  Seminary,  and  an  ardent  desire  that  they  might  become 
faithful  ministers  of  the  gospel.  He  mentioned  the  great  sat- 
isfaction which  it  had  given  him  to  hear  of  the  prosperity  and 
usefulness  of  those  who  had  gone  out  from  the  Seminary. 
He  then  went  on  to  expatiate  on  the  importance  of  a  high 
standard  of  ministerial  character,  on  account  of  its  great  influ- 
ence on  the  interests  of  the  church.  He  deprecated  particu- 
larly, in  the  ministers  of  Christ,  every  thing  which  savors  of 
pride  and  self-sufficieney — every  thing  which  looks  like  osten- 
tation, or  a  desire  to  attract  notice  to  themselves.  He  loved 
to  see  ministers  humble,  meek,  unassuming,  steadily  devoted 
to  their  work,  and  more  anxious  to  glorify  God,  and  save  the 
souls  of  men,  than  to  acquire  popularity. 

He  often  remarked  that  a  time  of  health  was  the  time  to 
prepare  for  death,  and  the  time  to  give  evidence  of  an  interest 
in  Christ.  He  said  he  had  seen  persons  who,  when  in  health, 
were  very  much  devoted  to  the  world  ;  but  who,  when  brought 
upon  a  sick  bed,  were  very  religious  ;  agreeably  to  the  repre- 
sentation in  Jer.  xxii.  20,  23.  "  Go  up  to  Lebanon  and  cry, 
and  lift  up  thy  voice  in  Dashan,  and  cry  from  the  passages,  for 
all  thy  lovers  are  destroyed.      I    spake    unto   thee    in   thv 

PROSPERITY,  BUT  THOU  SAIDST,  I  WILL  NOT  HEAR.    THIS  HATH 


DR.    NETTLETON.  311 

BEEN  THY  MANNER  FROM   THY   YOUTH,  THAT  THOU    OBEYEDST 

not  my  voice.  The  wind  shall  eat  up  all  thy  pastures,  and 
thy  lovers  shall  go  into  captivity ;  surely  then  shall  thou  be 
ashamed  and  confounded  for  all  thy  wickedness.  O,  inhabitant 
of  Lebanon,  that  makest  thy  nest  in  the  cedars,  how  gracious 

SHALT  THOU    BE  WHEN  THY  PANGS   COME   UPON    THEE." 

A  short  time  before  his  death,  when  he  was  very  ill,  and 
when  he  thought  it  probable  that  he  had  but  a  short  time  to 
live,  I  said  to  him,  you  are  in  good  hands.  "  Certainly,"  he 
replied.  Are  you  willing  to  be  there  ?  "  I  am.  I  know  not," 
said  he,  "that  I  have  any  advice  to  give  my  friends.  My 
whole  preaching  expresses  my  views.  If  I  could  see  the 
pilgrims,  scattered  abroad,  who  thought  they  experienced  reli- 
gion under  my  preaching,  I  should  like  to  address  them.  I 
would  tell  them  that  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel  appear 
more  precious  than  ever  ;  and  that  they  are  the  truths  which 
now  sustain  my  soul."  He  said,  "  you  know  I  have  never 
placed  much  dependence  on  the  manner  in  which  persons 
die."  He  spake  of  a  farewell  sermon  which  he  preached 
in  Virginia,  from  these  words  :  While  ye  have  the  light,  walk 
in  the  light.  He  told  the  people,  that  he  wished  to  say  some 
things  to  them,  that  he  should  not  be  able  to  say  to  them  on  a 
dying  bed.  And  he  would  now  say  to  all  his  friends,  "  While 
ye  have  the  light,  walk  in  the  light."  While  making  these 
remarks,  there  was  a  peculiar  lustre  on  his  countenance.  I 
said  to  him,  I  trust  you  feel  no  solicitude  respecting  the  issue 
of  your  present  sickness.  He  replied  with  emphasis.  "No, 
none  at  all.  I  am  glad  that  it  is  not  for  me  to  say.  It  is 
sweet  to  trust  in  the  Lord." 

During  the  last  twenty-four  hours  of  his  life,  he  said  but 
little.  In  the  evening  of  the  day  before  his  death,  I  informed 
him  that  we  considered  him  near  the  close  of  life,  and  said  to 
him,  I  hope  you  enjoy  peace  of  mind.  By  the  motion  of  his 
head,  he  gave  me  an  affirmative  answer.  He  continued  to  fail 
through  the  night,  and  at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  calmly 


312  MEMOIR    OF 

fell  asleep,  as  we  trust,  in  the  arms  of  his  Saviour.     May  all 
his  friends  remember  his  dying  counsel,  "  While  ye  have 

THE  LIGHT,  WALK  IN   THE  LIGHT." 

"  Farewell,  dear  brother,  may  thy  mantle  rest 

Upon  the  youthful  prophets  of  our  God. 
Farewell. — Now  rest,  amid  the  blessed  band, 

With  whom  thou  once  didst  worship  here  below, 
And  oft  didst  take  sweet  counsel.     There  are  seals 

Thy  ministry  attesting,  and  the  crowns 
Of  thy  rejoicing  through  eternal  days. 

There  numbers  beyond  number  of  the  sav'd 
Together  sing  Redemption's  endless  song." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

His  general  character. 
INTELLECTUAL     CHARACTER. 

Dr.  Nettleton  possessed  a  clear,  vigorous  and  discrim- 
inating mind — a  mind  adapted  to  investigation,  and  well  dis- 
ciplined by  study.  The  course  of  his  life,  particularly  in  the 
first  years  of  his  ministry,  was  such  as  to  prevent  him  from 
cultivating  a  very  extensive  acquaintance  with  books.  But 
his  mind  was  ever  active,  and  constantly  engaged  in  search 
of  truth.  Amid  his  abundant  labors,  he  found  some  time  for 
reading ;  and  the  books  which  he  read,  were  well  selected, 
and  thoroughly  studied.  He  made  no  pretensions  to  great 
scientific  attainments,  nor  to  any  very  extensive  acquaintance 
with  general  literature  ;  but  his  mind  was  well  stored  with 
biblical  and  theological  knowledge.  Few  men  ever  possess- 
ed a  more  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  Bible,  or  were 
capable  of  expounding  it  in  a  more  interesting  manner. 
During  his  last  protracted  illness,  it  was  a  feast  to  sit  by  his 
bed-side  and  hear  him  open  the  scriptures.  His  expositions 
were  so  clear  and  natural,  and  were  enlivened  by  such  vmd 
and  striking  illustrations,  and  interspersed  with  such  weighty 
practical  remarks,  as  to  render  them  not  only  exceedingly 
entertaining,  but  in  a  high  degree  edifying. 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  a  profound  divine  ;  and  in  every  species 
of  theological  discussion  he  was  perfectly  at  home.  With 
27 


314  MEMOIR    OF 

the  common  objections  and  cavils  against  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  he  was  very  familiar ;  and  for  skill  in  stopping  the 
mouths  of  gainsayers,  and  in  speaking  a  word  in  season  to 
persons  of  every  description,  he  was  highly  distinguished. 

A  few  anecdotes  in  illustration  of  this  remark,  will  he  here 
inserted. 

Being  accosted  by  a  Universalist,  who  wished  to  engage  in 
a  discussion  on  the  doctrine  of  future  punishment,  he  said  to 
him,  "I  will  not  enter  into  any  dispute  with  you  at  present; 
but  I  should  be  pleased  to  have  you  state  to  me  your  views, 
that  I  may  have  them  to  think  of."  The  man  accordingly 
informed  him,  that  in  his  opinion  mankind  received  all  their 
punishment  in  this  life,  and  that  all  would  be  happy  after  death. 
Dr.  Nettleton  then  asked  him  to  explain  certain  passages  of 
scripture,  such  as  the  account  of  a  future  judgment  in  the  xxv. 
chapter  of  Matthew,  and  some  others  ;  merely  suggesting  dif- 
ficulties for  him  to  solve,  without  calling  in  question  any  of 
his  positions.  After  taxing  his  ingenuity  for  some  time  in 
this  way,  and  thus  giving  him  opportunity  to  perceive  the 
difficulty  of  reconciling  his  doctrine  with  the  language  of 
inspiration  ;  he  said  to  him,  "  you  believe,  1  presume,  the 
account  given  by  Moses  of  the  deluge,  and  of  the  destruction 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah."     "  Certainly,"  lie  replied. 

"  It  seems,  then,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  that  the  world  became 
exceeding  corrupt,  and  God  determined  to  destroy  it  by  a 
deluge  of  water.  He  revealed  his  purpose  to  Noah,  and 
directed  him  to  prepare  an  ark  in  which  he  and  his  family 
might  be  saved.  Noah  believed  God,  and  prepared  the  ark. 
Meanwhile  he  was  a  preacher  of  righteousness.  He  warned 
the  wicked  around  him  of  their  danger,  and  exhorted  them  to 
prepare  to  meet  their  God.  But  his  warnings  were  disre- 
garded. They  doubtless  flattered  themselves  that  God  was 
too  good  a  being  thus  to  destroy  his  creatures.  But  notwith- 
standing their  unbelief,  the  flood  came,  and  if  your  doctrine  is 
true,  swept  them  all  up  to  heaven.    And  what  became  of  Noah, 


DR.    NETTLETON.  315 

that  faithful  servant  of  God?  He  was  tossed  to  and  fro 
on  the  waters,  and  was  doomed  to  trials  and  sufferings  for 
three  hundred  and  fifty  years  longer,  in  this  evil  world ; 
whereas,  if  he  had  been  wicked  enough,  he  might  have  gone 
to  heaven  with  the  rest. 

"  And  there  were  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  which 
had  become  so  corrupt,  that  God  determined  to  destroy  them 
by  a  tempest  of  fire.  He  revealed  his  purpose  to  Lot,  and 
directed  him  and  his  family  to  make  their  escape.  '  And  Lot 
went  out  and  spake  to  his  sons-in-law,  saying,  Up  !  get  ye  out 
of  this  place,  for  the  Lord  will  destroy  this  city.  But  he 
seemed  as  one  that  mocked  to  his  sons-in-law.'  They  did 
not  believe  that  any  such  doom  was  impending.  They  doubt- 
less flattered  the"mselves  that  God  was  too  good  a  being  to 
burn  up  his  creatures.  But  no  sooner  had  Lot  made  his  escape, 
than  it  rained  fire  and  brimstone  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven, 
and  they  all,  it  seems,  ascended  to  heaven  in  a  chariot  of  fire  ; 
while  pious  Lot  was  left  to  wander  in  the  mountains,  and  to 
suffer  many  grievous  afflictions  in  this  vale  of  tears  ;  whereas, 
if  he  had  been  wicked  enough,  he  might  have  gone  to  heaven 
with  the  rest."  After  making  this  statement,  he  requested 
the  man  to  reflect  on  these  things,  and  bade  him  an  affection- 
ate adieu. 

A  Restorationist  once  attapked  him,  and  quoted  these  words 
of  the  Apostle  Peter  in  support  of  his  doctrine.  "  By  which 
also  he  went  and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison."  Dr. 
Nettleton  observed  to  him,  that  the  time  was  specified  in  the 
next  verse,  when  Christ  preached  to  these  spirits  in  prison. 
It  was,  "  when  once  the  long  suffering  of  God  waited  in  the 
days  of  Noah.  It  was  by  his  spirit  which  dwelt  in  Noah, 
that  he  preached  to  those  who  are  now  spirits  in  prison." 
"  No,"  said  the  man,  "  that  cannot  be  the  meaning  of  the  pas- 
sage. The  meaning  is,  that  Christ,  after  his  crucifixion,  went 
down  to  hell  and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison."  "  Be  it 
so,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  what  did  he  preach  ?"     "  I   do  not 


316  MEMOIR     OF 

know,"  he  replied,  "but  I  suppose  he  preached  the  gospel." 
"  Do  you  think,  said  Dr.  Nettleton  that  he  preached  to  them 
any  thing  different  from  what  he  preached  on  earth  ?"  "  Cer- 
tainly not,"  said  he.  "  Well,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  when 
Christ  was  on  the  earth  he  told  sinners,  that  if  they  should  be 
cast  into  prison,  they  should  not  come  out  thence,  till  they 
had  paid  the  uttermost  farthing.  If  he  went  down  to  hell  to 
preach  to  the  lost  spirits  there,  he  doubtless  told  them,  you 
must  remain  here,  till  you  have  suffered  all  that  your  sins 
deserve.  What  influence,  then,  would  his  preaching  have 
towards  releasing  them  from  the  place  of  torment  ?" 

An  Antinomian  complained  to  him,  that  ministers  dwelt  so 
much,  in  their  preaching,  on  the  demands  of  the  law. 
"  Believers,"  said  he,  "  are  not  under  law,  but  under  grace." 
"  Is  it  not  the  duty  of  believers,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  to 
repent  ?"  "  Certainly,"  he  replied.  "  Of  what  is  it  their  duty 
to  repent  ?"  said  Dr.  Nettleton.  The  man  saw  at  once  the 
precipice  before  him.  If  he  said,  of  sin,  he  perceived  that 
the  next  question  would  be,  wThat  is  sin  but  a  transgression  of 
the  law  ?  and  if  believers  are  not  under  obligations  to  obey  the 
law,  what  can  there  be  for  them  to  repent  of  ? 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  he  often  demol- 
ished, at  a  stroke,  the  errors  of  men,  and  caused  the  light  of 
truth  to  flash  instant  conviction  on  their  minds. 

Falling  in  company  with  a  violent  opposer  of  religion,  who 
professed  to  be  a  Universalist,  and  who  also  denied  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  scriptures,  he  said  to  him,  "  I  will  not  dispute 
with  you  ;  but  I  presume  I  can  tell  you  how  you  came  to 
adopt  your  present  sentiments.  I  suspect  you  have  seen  the 
time  when  the  Spirit  of  God  was  striving  with  you — when  von 
felt  that  you  was  a  sinner,  and  that  you  must  repent  or  perish. 
But  your  wicked  heart  resisted  these  convictions.  You  loved 
your  sins,  and  was  unwilling  to  renounce  them.  Your  con- 
science told  you  that  you  must  pray,  or  you  would  be  lost ;  but 
your  heart  replied,  I  will  not  pray,  nor  will  I  be  lost.    Hence 


DR.    NETTLETON.  317 

you  undertook  to  convince  yourself  that  God  will  not  punish 
the  wicked.  But  I  do  not  think  you  have  yet  quite  silenced 
your  conscience.  You  still  have  some  forebodings  of  future 
misery.  You  are  sometimes  afraid,  at  least,  that  the  Bible  is 
true,  and  that  there  is  a  day  of  judgment,  and  a  world  of  wo. 
But  if  you  wish  entirely  to  silence  your  conscience,  you  are 
in  a  fair  way  to  do  it.  Continue  to  flatter  yourself,  and  to 
resist  the  truth,  and  God  will  help  you  to  succeed.  Thus  it 
is  written,  '  For  this  cause  God  shall  send  them  strong  delu- 
sion, that  they  should  believe  a  lie,  that  they  all  might  be 
damned,  who  received  not  the  love  of  the  truth,  but  had 
pleasure  in  unrighteousness.'  " 

This  address  proved  an  arrow  in  the  man's  heart.  He  saw 
himself  to  be  a  lost  sinner,  and  soon  became  a  hopeful  subject 
of  renewing  grace. 

A  caviler  once  said  to  him,  "  how  came  I  by  my  wicked 
heart  ?"  "  That  is  a  question,"  said  he,  "  which  does  not  so 
much  concern  you  as  another,  viz  :  how  you  shall  get  rid  of 
your  wicked  heart.  You  have  a  wicked  heart,  which  renders 
you  entirely  unfit  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  you  must  have 
a  new  heart,  or  you  cannot  be  saved  ;  and  the  question  which 
now  most  deeply  concerns  you,  is,  how  you  shall  obtain  it." 
"  But,"  said  the  man,  "  I  wish  you  to  tell  me  how  I  came  by 
my  wicked  heart."  "  I  shall  not  undertake  to  do  that  at  pres- 
ent," said  Dr.  Nettleton  ;  "  for  if  I  could  do  it  to  your  entire 
satisfaction,  it  would  not  help  you  in  the  least  towards  obtaining 
a  new  heart.  The  great  thing  for  which  I  am  solicitous,  is, 
that  you  should  become  a  new  creature  and  be  prepared  for 
heaven."  As  the  man  manifested  no  wish  to  hear  any  thing 
on  that  subject,  but  still  pressed  the  question  how  he  came  by 
his  wicked  heart,  Dr.  Nettleton  told  him  that  his  condition 
resembled  that  of  a  man  who  is  drowning,  while  his  friends 
are  attempting  to  save  his  life.  As  he  rises  to  the  surface  of 
the  water,  he  exclaims,  "  how  came  I  here  ?"  "  That  ques- 
tion," says  one  of  his  friends,  "  does  not  concern  you  now. 
27* 


318  MEMOIR    OF 

Take  hold  of  this  rope."  "  But  how  came  I  here  ?"  he 
exclaims  again.  "  I  shall  not  stop  to  answer  that  question 
now,"  says  his  friend.  "  Then  I'll  drown,"  replies  the  infat- 
uated man,  and  spurning  all  proffered  aid,  sinks  to  the  bottom. 

A  stupid,  worldly  man  once  said  to  him,  "  you  know,  Mr. 
Nettleton,  that  when  we  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with 
us."  "  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  and  that  is  a  bad  case  ;  but  it  is 
worse,  when  we  would  not  do  good,  and  evil  is  present 
with  us." 

A  man  once  asked  him,  "  how  shall  I  get  a  disposition  to 
pray  ?"  "  I  wish  to  know,  in  the  first  place,"  he  replied, 
"  whether  you  are  sincere  in  asking  the  question  ;  for  if  you 
are  not,  it  will  be  of  no  use  for  me  to  answer  it,  because  you 
will  not  follow  my  directions."  "  I  am  sincere,"  said  the  man  ; 
"  I  really  wish  to  know  how  I  can  get  a  disposition  to  pray." 
"  It  seems,  then,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  that  you  have  already 
got  a  disposition  to  get  a  disposition  to  pray.  How  did  you 
get  that.  And  why  is  it  not  just  as  easy  to  have  a  disposition 
to  pray,  as  to  have  a  disposition  to  get  a.  disposition  to  pray !" 
In  this  way  he  showed  the  man  that  he  deceived  himself  in 
supposing  that  he  was  sincere  in  asking  the  question. 

A  young  female,  who  had  been  for  some  time  in  a  state  of 
religious  anxiety,  said  to  him,  "what  do  you  think  of  the  doc- 
trine of  election  ?  Some  say  it  is  true,  and  some  say  it  is  not 
true,  and  I  do  not  know  what  to  think  of  it."  "  And  what  do 
you  wish  to  think  of  it?"  said  Dr.  Nettleton.  "  I  wish,"  said 
she,  "  to  think  that  it  is  not  true."  "  Suppose  then,"  said  Dr. 
Nettleton.  "  that  it  is  not  true.  The  doctrine  of  repentance  is 
true.  You  must  repent  or  perish.  Now  if  the  doctrine  of 
election  is  not  true,  what  reason  have  you  to  believe  you  ever 
shall  repent  ?"  After  a  moment's  reflection,  she  replied,  "  if 
the  doctrine  of  election  is  not  true,  I  never  shall  repent." 
Her  eyes  were  then  opened  upon  her  true  condition.  Every 
refuge  failed  her.  She  saw  that  she  was  entirely  dependent 
on  the  sovereign  grace  of  God  ;  and  there  is  reason  to  believe 


DR.    NETTLETON,  319 

she  was  soon  brought  out  of  darkness  into  God's  marvelous 
light. 

A  certain  individual  said  to  him,  "  I  cannot  get  along  with 
the  doctrine  of  election."  "  Then,"  said  he,  "  get  along  with- 
out it.  You  are  at  liberty  to  get  to  heaven  the  easiest  way 
you  can.  Whether  the  doctrine  of  election  is  true  or  not,  it 
is  true  that  you  must  repent  and  believe,  and  love  God.  Now 
what  we  tell  you,  is,  that  such  is  the  wickedness  of  your 
heart,  that  you  never  will  do  these  things,  unless  God  hi  s 
determined  to  renew  your  heart.  If  you  do  not  believe  that 
your  heart  is  so  wicked,  make  it  manifest  by  complying  with 
the  terms  of  salvation.  Why  do  you  stand  caviling  with  the 
doctrine  of  election  ?  Suppose  you  should  prove  it  to  be 
false  ;  what  have  you  gained  ?  You  must  repent  and  believe 
in  Christ  after  all.  Why  do  you  not  immediately  comply  with 
these  terms  of  the  gospel  ?  When  you  have  done  this,  with- 
out the  aids  of  divine  grace,  it  will  be  soon  enough  to  oppose 
the  doctrine  of  election.  Until  you  shall  have  done  this,  we 
shall  still  believe  that  the  doctrine  of  election  lies  at  the  foun- 
dation of  all  hope  in  your  case." 

A  woman,  who  was  known  to  be  a  great  opposer  of  the 
doctrine  of  election,  said  to  him  one  day,  "you  talked  to  me 
yesterday,  as  if  you  thought  I  could  repent."  "  And  can  you 
not  ?"  said  he.  "  No,  I  cannot,  unless  God  shall  change  my 
heart."  "  Do  you  really  believe,"  said  he,  "  that  you  cannot 
repent,  unless  God  has  determined  to  change  your  heart  ?" 
"  I  do,"  said  she.  "  Why  madam,"  said  he,  "  you  hold  to 
the  doctrine  of  election  in  a  stricter  sense  than  I  do.  I 
should  prefer  to  say,  not.  that  you  cannot,  but  that  you  never 
mill  repent,  unless  God  has  determined  to  change  your  heart." 

To  a  young  woman  who  had  long  been  thoughtful,  but  not 
deeply  impressed,  and  who  seemed  to  continue  from  week  to 
week  in  the  same  state  of  mind,  he  said  one  day,  "  there  are 
some  who  never  will  become  true  believers.  Christ  said  unto 
the  Jews,  '  ye  believe  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  my  sheep.' 


320  MEMOIR    OF 

Perhaps  this  is  your  case  :  and  I  tell  you  now,  that  if  you  are 
not  ono  of  Christ's  sheep,  you  never  will  believe  on  him,  and 
I  hope  it  will  ring  in  your  ears."  And  it  did  ring  in  her  ears. 
From  that  moment,  she  found  no  peace,  till,  as  she  hoped,  her 
peace  was  made  with  God. 

A  young  female,  who  had  been  for  some  time  under  dis- 
tress of  mind,  said  to  him  one  day,  "  I  know  not  what  to  do 
next."  "  Next !"  he  replied,  "  Next  to  what !"  She  instant- 
ly saw  the  worthlessness  of  all  her  prayers  and  strivings,  and 
replied,  "  Next  to  nothing." 

To  a  man,  who  manifested  great  opposition  to  the  doctrine 
of  election,  he  once  said,  "  If  I  should  go  to  heaven,  I  feel  as 
if  I  should  wish  to  say  in  the  language  of  the  apostle,  '  who 
hath  saved  us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling  ;  not  accord- 
ing to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace, 
which  were  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  before  the  world  began.' 
Now,  if  we  should  meet  in  heaven,  and  I  should  make  use  of 
this  language,  will  you  quarrel  with  me  there  ?" 

"  Do  you  believe,"  said  an  Arminian  to  him  one  day,  "  that 
Cod  influences  the  will  ?"  '•  I  do,"  he  replied.  "  How  do 
you  prove  it  ?"  "  I  prove  it  by  this  passage  of  scripture. 
'  For  it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do.5  " 
"  But  that  does  not  mean,"  said  the  Arminian,  "  that  God 
influences  the  will,  and  now  how  do  you  prove  it  ?"  "  I  prove 
it,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  by  this  passage,  '  For  it  is  God  that 
worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do.' "  "  But  that,  I  say, 
does  not  mean  that  God  influences  the  will."  "  And  what 
does  it  mean?"  said  Dr.  Nettleton.  "  It  means,"  said  the  Ar- 
minian, "  that  God  gives  us  a  gracious  power  to  will  and  to 
do."  "Then  it  does  not  mean,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "that 
God  works  in  us  to  will  and  to  do  !" 

In  one  place,  where  he  was  laboring  in  an  interesting  revi- 
val of  religion,  there  was  a  man  of  considerable  influence,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  church  ;  but  whose  principles  and  prac- 
tice were   a  great   reproach   to  religion.      He  opposed  all 


DR.    NETTLETON.  321 

religious  meetings,  except  on  the  Sabbath.  At  the  same  time, 
he  made  no  objection  to  balls  and  parties  of  pleasure,  but 
encouraged  his  children  to  attend  them.  Two  of  his  daugh- 
ters, one  evening,  without  his  knowledge,  went  to  hear  Dr. 
Nettleton  preach.  Finding  that  they  had  gone,  he  repaired  to 
the  place,  and  interrupted  the  meeting  by  ordering  his  daugh- 
ters to  return  immediately  home.  Then  addressing  the  preach- 
er, he  said.  "  Mr.  Nettleton,  will  you  call  and  see  me  to-mor- 
row morning  at  9  o'clock  ?"  "  I  will,  sir,"  he  replied.  Ac- 
cordingly at  the  time  proposed,  he  was  at  the  house.  "  Mr. 
Nettleton,"  said  the  man,  "  I  do  not  approve  of  night  meetings." 
"  Neither  do  I  approve  of  balls,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  I  think 
their  influence  upon  young  people  is  bad."  "  I  do  not  approve 
of  such  meetings  as  yours,"  said  he.  "  Oh !"  said  Dr.  Net- 
tleton, "  it  is  to  religious  meetings  that  you  object,  when  people 
meet  together  to  worship  God.  If  I  understand  you,  you  feel 
no  opposition  to  meetings  of  young  people  for  amusement,  if 
they  are  held  in  the  night,  and  continue  all  night.  Did  you 
ever  take  your  children  from  the  ball-room  ?"  "  The  com- 
mand," said  he,  "  is  six  days  shalt  thou  labor."  "  Did  you 
ever  quote  that  command,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  to  prove  that 
it  is  wrong  to  attend  balls,  and  parties  of  pleasure?" 

Then  assuming  a  solemn  and  affectionate  mode  of  address, 
he  said  to  the  man,  "  my  dear  sir,  you  are  a  member  of  the 
church,  but  you  must  not  wonder  if  you  are  regarded  by  your 
acquaintance,  as  in  heart,  the  enemy  of  religion,  unless  you 
pursue  a  more  consistent  course  of  conduct.  While  you  up- 
hold balls,  and  oppose  meetings  for  religious  worship,  you 
will  find  it  difficult  to  make  any  body  believe  that  you  have 
the  least  regard  for  the  religion  which  you  profess."  This 
address  brought  tears  into  the  man's  eyes,  and  whatever  may 
have  been  his  feelings,  there  was  after  this,  a  decided  change 
in  his  outward  deportment.  He  suffered  his  children  to 
attend  religious  meetings  ;  nor  do  I  know  that,  he  ever  after- 
wards openly  opposed  them. 


322  MEMOIR     OF 

He  once  fell  in  company  with,  two  men  who  were  disputing 
on  the  doctrine  of  the  saints'  perseverance.  As  he  came  into 
their  presence,  one  of  them  said,  "  I  believe  this  doctrine  has 
been  the  means  of  filling  hell  with  christians."  "  Sir,"  said 
Dr.  Nettleton,  "  do  you  believe  that  God  knows  all  things  ?" 
"  Certainly  I  do,"  said  he.  "  How,  then,  do  you  interpret 
this  text  ?  '  I  never  knew  you,'  "  said  Dr.  Nettleton.  After 
reflecting  a  moment,  he  replied,  "  the  meaning  must  be,  I 
never  knew  you  as  christians."  "  Is  that  the  meaning?"  said 
Dr.  Nettleton.  "  Yes,  it  must  be,"  he  replied,  "  for  certainly 
God  knows  all  things."  "  Well,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  I  pre- 
sume you  are  right.  Now  this  is  what  our  Saviour  will  say 
to  those,  who  at  the  last  day,  shall  say  to  him,  Lord,  Lord, 
have  we  not  eaten  and  drunken  in  thy  presence,  &c.  Now, 
when  Saul,  and  Judas,  and  Hymeneus,  and  Philetus,  and  De- 
mas,  and  all  who,  you  suppose,  have  fallen  from  grace,  shall 
say  to  Christ,  Lord,  Lord  ;  he  will  say  to  them,  I  never  knew 
you — I  never  knew  you  as  christians.  Where  then  are  the 
christians  that  are  going  to  hell  1" 

Said  an  individual  to  him,  "  do  you  believe  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  saints' perseverance  ?"  "  It  is  my  opinion,"  he  replied, 
"that  that  doctrine  is  taught  in  the  Bible."  "I  should  like 
then,"  said  the  individual,  "  to  have  you  explain  this  passage, 
Ezek.  xviii.  24.  '  When  the  righteous  turnetli  away  from  his 
righteousness  and  committeth  iniquity,  and  doeth  according  to 
all  the  abominations  that  the  wicked  man  doeth,  shall  he  live  ? 
All  the  righteousness  that  he  hath  done  shall  not  be  mentionad  ; 
in  his  trespass  that  he  hath  trespassed,  and  in  his  sin  that  he 
hath  sinned,  in  them  shall  he  die?  " 

Said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  you  have  imposed  upon  me  a  hard 
task.  That  is  a  difficult  text  to  explain  ;  and  what  renders  it 
the  more  difficult,  is,  that  the  commentators  are  not  agreed  as 
to  its  meaning.  Some  have  supposed,  that  by  a  righteous 
man,  in  this  passage,  is  meant  a  self-righteous  man."  "  I  do 
not  believe  that,"  said  the  individual.     "  Neither  do  I,  "  said 


DR.     NETTLETON.  323 

Nettleton,  "  for  in  that  case,  it  would  seem  to  teach  that  if  a 
self-righteous  man  should  persevere  in  his  self-righteousness, 
he  would  be  saved.  Some  have  supposed,  that  by  a  righteous 
man  is  meant  one  who  is  apparently  righteous."  is  I  do  not 
believe  that,"  said  the  individual.  "  Neither  do  I,"  said  Dr. 
Nettleton,  "  for  in  that  case,  the  text  would  seem  to  teach, 
that  if  a  hypocrite  should  persevere  in  his  hypocrisy,  he 
would  be  saved.  You  suppose,  do  you  not,  that  by  a  right- 
eous man  in  this  passage,  is  meant  a  true  saint  ?"  "  Certain- 
ly, I  do."  "  And  you  suppose  that  by  a  righteous  man's  turn- 
ing away  from  his  righteousness,  is  meant  falling  away,  as 
David  did,  and  as  Peter  did  ?"  "  Certainly."  u  And  you  be- 
lieve that  David  and  Peter  are  now  in  hell  ?"  "  No,  by  no 
means.  David  and  Peter  repented  and  were  restored  to  the 
favor  of  God."  "  But,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  when  the  right- 
eous turheth  from  his  righteousness — in  his  trespass  that  he 
hath  trespassed,  and  in  his  sin  that  he  hath  sinned,  in  them 
shall  he  die — in  them  shall  he  die.  Now  if  David  and 
Peter  did  turn  from  their  righteousness  in  the  sense  of  this 
passage,  how  can  we  possibly  believe  that  they  were  saved  ?" 
The  individual  now  found  the  laboring  oar  in  his  own  hands  ; 
and  after  attempting  for  some  time  unsuccessfully  to  explain 
the  difficulty  in  which  he  found  his  own  doctrine  involved, 
Dr.  Nettleton  said  to  him,  "  if  there  is  any  difficulty  in  ex- 
plaining this  text  of  scripture,  I  do  not  see  but  you  are  quite 
as  much  troubled  with  it  as  I  am." 

A  man  once  said  to  him,  "  I  sincerely  desire  to  be  a  chris- 
tian. I  have  often  gone  to  the  house  of  God,  hoping  that 
something  which  should  be  said,  might  be  set  home  upon  my 
mind  by  the  spirit  of  God,  and  be  blessed  to  my  salvation." 
"  You  are  willing,  then,  are  you  not,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton, 
"  that  I  should  converse  with  you,  hoping  that  my  conversa- 
tion may  be  the  means  of  your  conversion  ?"  "  I  am,"  he 
replied.  ''  If  you  are  willing  to  be  a  christian,"  said  Dr.  Net- 
tleton. "  you  are  willing  to  perform  the  duties  of  religion  ;  for 


324  MEMOIR    OF 

this  is  what  is  implied  in  being  a  christian.  Are  you  willing 
to  perform  these  duties  ?"  "  I  do  not  know  but  I  am."  "  You 
are  the  head  of  a  family.  One  of  the  duties  of  religion  is 
family  prayer.  Are  you  willing  to  pray  in  your  family  ?"  "  I 
should  be,"  he  replied,  "  if  I  were  a  christian.  But  it  cannot 
be  the  duty  of  such  a  man  as  I  am,  to  pray.  The  prayers  of 
the  wicked  are  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord."  "  And  is  it 
not,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton,  "  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord,  to 
live  without  prayer?  But  just  let  me  show  you  how  you  de- 
ceive yourself.  You  think  you  really  desire  to  be  converted. 
But  you  are  not  willing  even  to  be  convicted.  Just  as  soon 
as  I  mention  a  duty  which  you  are  neglecting,  you  begin  to 
excuse  and  justify  yourself,  on  purpose  to  keep  your  sin  out 
of  sight.  You  are  not  willing  to  see  that  it  is  a  heinous  sin  to 
live  in  the  neglect  of  family  prayer.  How  can  you  expect  to 
be  brought  to  repentance,  until  you  are  willing  to  see  your 
sinfulness  ?  And  how  can  you  flatter  yourself  that  you  really 
desire  to  be  a  christian,  while  you  thus  close  your  eyes 
against  the  truth  ?" 

A  young  lady,  who  was  under  concern  of  mind,  said  to  him, 
"  I  certainly  do  desire  to  be  a  christian.  I  desire  to  be  holy. 
I  would  wive  all  the  world  for  an  interest  in  Christ."  He 
replied,  "  what  you  say,  will  not  bear  examination.  If  you 
really  desire  religion  for  what  it  is,  there  is  nothing  to  hinder 
you  from  possessing  it.  I  can  make  a  representation  which 
will  show  you  your  heart,  if  you  are  willing  to  see  it."  "  I 
am,"  said  she.  "  It  will  look  very  bad,"  said  he,  "  but  if  you 
are  willing  to  see  it,  I  will  make  the  representation.  Suppose 
you  were  a  young  lady  of  fortune  ; — and  suppose  a  certain 
young  man  should  desire  to  obtain  your  fortune,  and  should 
for  that  reason,  conclude  to  pay  his  addresses  to  you.  But  he 
does  not  happen  to  be  pleased  with  your  person.  He  does 
not  love  you,  but  hates  you.  And  suppose  he  should  come 
to  you,  and  say,  I  really  wish  I  could  love  you,  but  I  do  not. 


DR.     NETTLETON.  325 

I  would  give  all  the  world  if  I  could  love  you,  but  I  cannot. 
What  would  you  think  of  that  young  man  ?  " 

A  person  once  said  in  his  presence,  that  to  inculcate  upon 
sinners  their  dependence  on  God  for  a  new  heart,  is  suited  to 
discourage  effort,  and  to  lead  them  to  sit  down  in  despair.  He 
replied,  "  the  very  reverse  of  this  is  true.  Suppose  a  number 
of  men  are  locked  up  in  a  room,  playing  cards.  Some  person 
informs  them  that  the  roof  of  the  building  is  on  fire,  and  that 
they  must  make  their  escape,  or  they  will  perish  in  the  flames. 
Says  one  of  them,  '  we  need  not  be  in  haste,  we  shall  have 
time  to  finish  the  game.'  '  But,'  says  the  person  who  gave 
the  alarm,  '  your  door  is  locked.'  '  No  matter  for  that,'  he 
replies  ;  '  I  have  the  key  in  my  pocket,  and  can  open  it  at 
any  moment,'  '  But  I  tell  you,  that  key  will  not  open  the 
door.'  '  Won't  it  V  he  exclaims  ;  and  rising  from  the  table, 
flies  to  the  door,  and  exerts  himself  to  the  utmost  to  open  it. 
So  sinners,  while  they  believe  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
securing  their  salvation  at  any  moment,  quiet  their  conscien- 
ces, and  silence  their  fears.  But  when  they  are  taught  that 
such  is  the  wickedness  of  their  hearts,  that  they  never  will 
repent,  unless  God  interposes  by  his  regenerating  grace  ;  they 
are  alarmed,  and  begin  to  inquire,  in  deep  distress,  what  they 
shall  do  to  be  saved." 

A  young  man  of  liberal  education,  and  of  a  clear  and  vig- 
orous mind,  having  just  read  Edwards'  Treatise  on  the  Will, 
said  to  him,  "  the  reasoning  is  conclusive.  It  is  impossible 
to  controvert  it.  It  amounts  to  absolute  demonstration."  To 
which  he  assented.  "  Then,"  said  the  young  man,  "  I  am  not 
a  free  agent,  and  am  not  accountable  for  my  conduct."  "  That 
does  not  follow,"  said  Dr.  Nettleton.  "  I  admit  your  prem- 
ises, but  I  deny  your  conclusions ;  and  moreover,  you  do  not 
believe  it  yourself.  If  you  did,  you  would  not  fear  to  blas- 
pheme your  Maker.  But  you  dare  not  do  it.  You  know  you 
are  a  free  and  accountable  agent." 

To  a  young  man,  who  professed  to  be  an  atheist,  he  said, 
28 


326  MEMOIR    OF 

"  you  are  not  so  sure  as  you  pretend  to  be,  that  there  is  no 
God.  You  dare  not  go  alone,  and  kneel  down,  and  in  a  sol- 
emn manner  offer  a  prayer.  If  there  is  no  God,  you  will 
incur  no  danger  by  so  doing  ;  and  yet  you  dare  not  do  it.  This 
shows  that  you  are  afraid  that  there  is  a  God,  who  cannot  be 
deceived,  and  who  will  not  be  mocked." 

In  conversing  with  opposers  of  religion,  while  he  was  very 
plain  and  faithful,  he  was  never  harsh  in  his  manner  ;  but 
always  kind  and  affectionate,  in  obedience  to  the  divine  injunc- 
tion, "In  meekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  themselves  ; 
if  peradventure,  God  will  give  them  repentance  to  the  ac- 
knowledging of  the  truth."  And  not  a  few  of  the  open  enemies 
of  religion,  were  through  his  instrumentality  hopefully  con- 
verted to  Christ. 

CHARACTER    AS    A    PREACHER. 

The  preaching  of  Dr.  Nettleton  was,  for  the  most  part, 
extemporaneous.  He  rarely  had  any  manuscript  before  him, 
unless  it  were  a  very  brief  outline  of  his  discourse.  He  was 
compelled  to  adopt  this  course,  from  the  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed.  Laboring  almost  constantly  in  revivals 
of  religion,  his  time  was  so  much  occupied  in  attending  reli- 
gious meetings,  and  in  conversing  with  individuals  in  private, 
that  he  found  it  impossible  to  write  his  sermons.  After  he 
had  preached  a  short  time,  his  mind  was  exceedingly  tried  on 
this  subject ;  and  he  seriously  deliberated  on  the  question, 
whether  it  was  not  his  duty  to  remit  some  of  his  other  labors, 
that  he  might  devote  more  of  his  time  to  study,  and  partic- 
ularly to  writing.  But  after  having  prayerfully  considered  the 
subject,  and  taken  counsel  of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion,  that  it  was  his  duty  to  persevere  in 
that  course,  which  God  was  crowning  with  such  signal 
success. 

But  notwithstanding  these  disadvantages,^  was  an  instruc- 
tive preacher.     Although  he  preached  principally  without  wri- 


DR.    N  E  T  TLE  T  O  N .  327 

ting,  he  did  not  preach  without  study.  He  bestowed  much 
thought  on  his  sermons.  They  were  rich  in  matter ;  and 
although  they  were  so  plain  as  to  be  easily  understood  by  the 
most  illiterate,  they  were  interesting  and  instructive  to  persons 
of  the  most  cultivated  intellect.  He  investigated  subjects 
thoroughly,  and  exhibited  the  result  of  his  investigations  with 
a  clearness  and  force  rarely,  if  ever,  equaled.  The  remark 
of  a  plain  man,  after  having  listened  to  one  of  his  discourses, 
will  give  some  idea  of  the  character  of  his  preaching.  "  While 
he  was  speaking,"  said  he,  "  a  stream  of  light  went  right 
through  me." 

He  was  a  doctrinal  preacher. — It  was  his  opinion  that  a 
belief  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  is  the  basis 
of  all  genuine  religious  experience.  He  was  aware  that  there 
might  be  religious  excitement,  and  much  religious  zeal,  where 
these  doctrines  are  discarded,  and  even  opposed ;  but  he  had 
no  confidence  in  such  excitements.  He  had  learned  from  his 
own  observation  and  experience,  that  the  preaching  of  these 
doctrines  is  suited  to  promote  genuine  revivals  of  religion  ; 
and  that  revivals,  where  they  are  not  faithfully  preached,  are 
apt  to  run  into  the  wildest  fanaticism.  He  believed  that  faith- 
ful, judicious  doctrinal  preaching,  is  adapted  to  humble  saints, 
and  excite  them  to  fervent  prayer,  and  the  diligent  discharge 
of  their  various  duties  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  to  produce  con- 
viction in  the  consciences  of  sinners,  to  destroy  their  self- 
righteous  hopes,  and  to  bring  them  to  the  foot  of  the  cross. 
He  had  no  fears  that  the  doctrines  of  grace,  when  clearly  ex- 
plained, and  properly  exhibited,  would  paralyze  effort,  and 
encourage  sloth  and  spiritual  apathy.  He  had  abundant  proof 
continually  before  his  eyes,  of  a  directly  contrary  effect.  These 
doctrines,  in  his  hands,  were  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  and  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

But  while  he  was  pre-eminently  a  doctrinal  preacher,  he 
was  at  the  same  time, 

A  practical  preacher. — He  preached   the   doctrines   practi- 


328  MEMOIR    OF 

cally.  While  he  explained  them  and  rescued  them  from  the 
misrepresentations  of  cavilers  and  errorists,  and  enforced  them 
by  irresistible  arguments,  he  never  preached  them  as  matters 
of  mere  speculation;  but  always,  as  truths  of  everlasting  mo- 
ment. He  applied  them  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  his 
hearers,  as  subjects  in  which  they  had  a  personal  and  infinite 
interest.  He  set  no  value  upon  a  mere  speculative  faith.  He 
was  aware  that  men  may  hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousness  ; 
and  while  he  strenuously  insisted  on  the  great  Protestant 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  he  as  strenuously  insisted  on 
the  necessity  of  a  living  faith,  which  worketh  by  love,  and 
purifieth  the  heart,  and  manifests  itself  in  a  life  of  holy 
obedience. 

He  was  a  wise  preacher. — Wise  in  the  selection  of  his  topics, 
and  in  his  mode  of  discussing  them ;  but  especially  in  adapt- 
ing his  discourses  to  the  state  and  circumstances  of  his  hear- 
ers. In  this  respect,  he  was  particularly  distinguished.  When 
he  commenced  laboring  in  a  place,  he  very  soon  ascertained 
the  state  of  the  people,  and  what  kind  of  instruction  was  suited 
to  their  condition.  If  they  had  previously  had  an  undue  pro- 
portion of  doctrinal  preaching,  and  were  beginning  to  pervert 
the  doctrines  by  contemplating  them  in  such  a  light  as  to  fur- 
nish them  with  an  excuse  for  the  neglect  of  duty  ;  he  found  it 
necessary  to  press  upon  the  consciences  of  sinners  their  obli- 
gations, and  to  urge  the  duty  of  immediate  repentance.  Where 
the  previous  instruction  had  been  of  an  opposite  character,  he 
found  it  necessary  to  dwell  much  on  the  doctrine  of  regen- 
eration, and  other  kindred  topics.  This  is  what,  in  familiar 
language,  he  called  "  cross-ploughing ;"  and  he  uniformly 
found  it  to  produce  the  desired  effect.  During  the  progress  of 
a  revival,  he  always  seemed  to  know  what  was  needed  at 
every  particular  crisis,  and  all  his  discourses  were  admirably 
timed. 

He  was  a  plain  preacher. — By  this  I  mean,  that  he  exhibited 
the  truth  with  remarkable  clearness,  so  that  every  body  could 


DR.    NETTLETON.  329 

understand  it, ;  and  with  such  force  of  reasoning,  that  it  could 
not  easily  be  resisted.  Although  he  possessed  a  strong  and 
discriminating  mind,  and  was  somewhat  fond  of  metaphysical 
discussion  ;  yet  he  rarely  introduced  abstract  and  metaphys- 
ical reasoning  into  the  pulpit.  His  reasoning  was  of  the 
rhetorical  kind,  which,  often  at  a  stroke,  carried  overpower- 
ing conviction  to  the  mind.  It  was  said  by  one  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  his  mode  of  illustrating  and  en  forcing  divine 
truth,  "  He  is  always  unanswerable."  And  it  was  even  so. 
What  he  undertook  to  establish,  seemed  to  be  settled  beyond 
controversy.  And  it  was  done  in  so  simple  and  easy  a  man- 
ner, as  to  cause  the  hearer  to  wonder  that  he  had  never  seen 
it  thus  before. 

He  was  a  solemn  preacher. — He  carefully  avoided  in  the 
pulpit,  witticisms,  ludicrous  comparisons,  and  every  thing 
suited  to  produce  levity.  He  felt  that  he  was  standing  in  the 
presence  of  God,  and  addressing  immortal  beings  on  subjects 
of  infinite  moment.  He  had  a  higher  object  than  to  amuse  his 
hearers,  who  were  slumbering  on  the  brink  of  eternal  perdition. 
His  heart  yearned  with  compassion  for  them,  and  his  object 
was  to  impress  upon  their  minds  a  sense  of  their  lost  condi- 
tion. The  great  realities  of  eternity  were  before  his  mind. 
He  of  course  felt  solemn.  It  was  not  affectation,  but  a  reality. 
He  had  no  sanctimonious  tone.  His  manner  was  simple  and 
unaffected.  His  articulation  and  emphasis  were  natural,  and 
the  deep  bass  tones  of  his  voice  were  sometimes  peculiarly 
solemn  and  impressive.  Under  his  preaching,  an  awful  so- 
lemnity usually  pervaded  the  assembly.  No  one,  unless  it 
were  some  bold  blasphemer,  was  disposed  to  trifle.  Such 
were  the  manifest  tokens  of  the  presence  of  God,  that  the 
minds  of  the  people  were  filled  with  awe,  and  the  breathless 
silence  was  broken  only  by  the  occasional  sighs  and  sobs  of 
anxious  souls. 

He  was  a  faithful  preacher. — Few  men  ever  had  a  more 
vivid  sense  of  the  responsibility  connected  with  the  sacred 
28* 


330  MEMOIR    OF 

office  ;  or  were  enabled  more  successfully  to  resist  the  various 
temptations  to  unfaithfulness.  He  was,  in  an  unusual  degree, 
raised  above  the  fear  of  man.  He  made  it  his  object  to 
please,  not  men,  but  God,  who  trieth  our  hearts  ;  and  no 
earthly  consideration  could  induce  him  to  keep  back  what  he 
believed  it  to  be  his  duty  to  preach.  Still,  he  was  never  harsh 
and  denunciatory;  but  always  kind  and  affectionate.  He 
never  made  it  his  object  to  give  offence,  but  always  to  com- 
mend himself  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God. 
His  heart  glowed  with  love  to  souls,  and  it  was  his  great 
desire  to  be  instrumental  in  their  salvation.  And  for  this  pur- 
pose, he  set  before  them  with  great  plainness  their  sin  and 
danger,  and  solemnly  and  affectionately  warned  them  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come. 

The  following  conclusion  of  a  sermon  on  the  divine  law, 
may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  his  faithfulness  in  applying  divine 
truth  to  the  consciences  of  his  hearers. 

"  But  what  must  be  the  state  of  every  sinner  out  of  Christ  ? 
Sinner,  in  what  court  will  you  plead  ?  At  the  tribunal  of  jus- 
tice, or  of  mercy  ?  It  is  with  the  kindest  intention  that  you 
are  now  called  upon  to  hear,  that  the  sentence  of  eternal  death 
is  pronounced  upon  you,  and  that  this  sentence  is  holy,  just, 
and  good.  Let  the  miseries  of  this  life — let  the  messenger 
of  death,  and  the  dark  world  of  wo,  rise  up  to  your  view  and 
testify  how  awful  is  that  law  which  condemns  you.  To  vin- 
dicate the  honor  of  this  broken  law,  everlasting  fire  is  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  Here  they  dwell  in  endless 
torments.  These,  O,  sinner,  were  once  angels  of  light,  and 
dwelt  in  the  presence  of  God.  But  how  are  they  fallen,  no 
more  to  rise  !  They  sinned  against  that  God,  whose  law  now 
condemns  you.  '  The  inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  and  of 
Sodom,  are  set  forth  for  an  example,  suffering  the  vengeance 
of  eternal  fire.' 

"  Out  of  Christ,  you  are  condemned  already,  and  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  you.     Out  of  Christ,  all  your  actions  hith- 


Ci:.     NEXT  LET  ON.  331 

erto,  arc  scanned  by  tins  perfect  law,  and  not  one  sin  is  par- 
doned. Out  of  Christ,  yon  stand  this  moment  in  awful  hazard 
of  losing  your  immortal  soul,  and  suffering  for  every  failure 
of  perfect  obedience  to  this  holy  law.  Out  of  Christ,  nothing 
but  the  mere  mercy  of  that  God,  in  whose  hand  is  your  life — 
the  mercy  of  Him,  whom  you  are  continually  provoking  by 
your  sins,  this  moment  holds  you  from  dropping  into  the  flames 
of  hell.  What  then  must  be  the  weight  of  your  guilt.  '?  1  f 
one  sin  must  send  an  angel  of  light  into  the  bottomless  pit — if 
in  consequence  of  Adam's  sin,  he  too,  with  all  his  posterity, 
might  have  been  reserved  in  everlasting  chains,  under  dark- 
ness, without  one  offer  of  pardoning  mercy  ;  what  must 'be 
your  guilt,  when  every  action  is  laid  in  the  balance,  and  found 
wanting  ?  Oh,  that  you  might  hear,  and  tremble  !  When 
God  in  awful  majesty  pronounced  this  law  from  Mount  Sinai, 
his  voice  then  shook  the  earth,  and  they  that  heard  entreated 
that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken  to  them  any  more,  for  the 
guilty  world  could  not  endure  that  'which  was  commanded. 
But  this  law  still  speaks,  however  deaf,  and  however  careless 
the  sinner  may  be — this  law  still  speaks,  and  proclaims  ap- 
proaching vengeance  near. 

"  But  stop.  The  uplifted  arm  of  vengeance  is  yet  stayed. 
The  collected  wrath  yet  waits  a  moment.  A  voice  from  the 
mercy-seat — a  warning  voice  is  heard.  The  Saviour  calls. 
Haste  then,  O  sinner,  haste  to  Christ,  the  only  refuge  from 
the  storm,  and  covert  from  the  gathering  tempest.  Then  safe 
from  the  fear  of  evil,  at  a  distance,  you  shall  only  hear  the 
thunders  roll ;  while  pardon,  peace,  and  eternal  life  are 
yours,"* 

He  was  an  animated  preacher. — This  would  naturally  be 
inferred  from  the  foregoing  extract.     He  felt  deeply  the  trulhs 


*  The  following  fact  has  been  communicated  to  the  biographer,  since  the 
the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  work.  The  sermon  from  which  the 
above  extract  is  taken,  was  preached  by  Dr.  Nettleton,  in  Edinburgh,  while  on 
his  visit  to  Scotland.     It  made  a  very  powerful  impression  on  the  congregation. 


332  me  mo  in  of 

which  he  uttered,  and  aimed  to  impress  them  strongly  on  the 
minds  of  his  hearers.  He  was  not  boisterous  or  vehement ; 
but  there  was  an  earnestness  in  his  manner,  which  produced 
the  conviction  in  all  who  heard  him,  that  what  he  said  came 
from  the  heart.  He  spake  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men.  He 
felt  that  he  stood  on  the  verge  of  eternity,  and  that  he  was 
addressing  immortal  beings,  to  whom  he  must  be  a  savor, 
either  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death  unto  death.  This  charac- 
teristic of  his  preaching  is  well  described  by  Dr.  Shepard,  in 
the  extract  given  from  his  letter  in  a  former  chapter. 

He  was  a?i  eloquent  preacher. — His,  however,  was  not  the 
eloquence  which  dazzles  by  splendid  diction,  and  graceful 
delivery  ;  and  which  fills  the  hearers  with  admiration  of  the 
brilliant  talents  of  the  preacher.  It  was  the  eloquence  of 
thought  and  feeling — eloquence  which  made  the  hearers  forget 
the  preacher,  in  the  all-absorbing  interest  which  tliey  felt  in 
the  subject  of  his  discourse.  "  If  we  were  compelled,"  say 
the  Edinburgh  Reviewers,  "  to  give  a  brief  definition  of  elo- 
quence, we  should  say,  it  was  practical  reasoning,  animated 
by  strong  emotion."  It  would  be  difficult  to  give  a  better 
description  of  Dr.  Nettleton's  preaching,  than  that  contained 
in  this  definition. 

His  sermons,  being  mostly  extemporaneous,  were  not,  of 
course,  characterized  by  elegance  of  style.  But  they  exhibited 
a  clearness,  and  force,  and  vivacity,  which  are  seldom  found 
in  the  written  discourses  of  the  most  celebrated  preachers. 
He  was,  it  is  true,  generally  diffuse,  and  sometimes  repetitious. 
He  would  frequently  dwell  upon  a  thought,  and  present  it  in 
different  aspects,  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  it  more  deeply 


While  he  was  speaking,  a  pious  woman  who  sat  in  a  remote  part  of  the  house, 
was  so  affected  that,  leaving  her  seat  and  walking  up  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  she 
thus  addressed  the  preacher.  "  Dear  Sir,  don't  forget,  that  '  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  might 
not  perish,  but  have  eveilasting  life.'  " 


DR.    NETTLETON.  066 

on  the  mind,  and  fixing  it  in  the  memory.*  But  he  was  never 
tedious.  He  kept  the  attention  of  the  audience  riveted  to  the 
subject.  Every  eye  was  fastened  upon  him,  and  the  whole 
assembly  listened  in  breathless  silence. 

His  elocution,  though  not  the  most  graceful,  was  natural 
and  forcible.  His  voice  was  clear,  and  melodious,  and  under 
complete  command.  His  enunciation  was  distinct,  and  his 
emphasis,  as  I  have  already  remarked,  was  natural,  and  some- 
times remarkably  impressive.  He  was  rather  moderate  and 
slow  in  the  commencement  of  his  discourse  ;  but  as  he  advan- 
ced, he  increased  in  fervor,  till  he  reached,  sometimes,  the 
highest  pitch  of  eloquence.  Not  a  few  educated  men,  of 
extensive  acquaintance,  and  good  taste,  have  pronounced  his 
preaching  the  best  specimen  of  genuine  eloquence  which  they 
ever  witnessed.  If  power  to  arrest  and  chain  the  attention  of 
large  auditories  for  hours  together,  and  to  stir  up  the  fountains 
of  deep  feeling  in  the  soul,  is  proof  of  eloquence,  then  surely 
Dr.  Nettleton  was  eloquent. 

He  vms  a  successful  preacher. — Soon  after  he  began  to 
preach,  his  labors  were  crowned  with  signal  success,  and  for 
ten  or  eleven  years  he  was  almost  constantly  employed  in 
guiding  inquiring  souls  to  Christ.  Few  men  have  ever  been 
instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  so  many  souls.  Thousands 
have  acknowledged  him  as  their  spiritual  father,  who  will,  I 
doubt  not,  be  his  joy  and  crown  in  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

SOCIAL    CHARACTER. 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  never  married.  We  cannot,  of  course, 
contemplate  him  in  the  conjugal  and  parental  relations.  He 
did  not  choose  a  life  of  celibacy,  on   account  of  disappoint- 

*  It  was  a  remark,  of  one  who  had  often  heard  him  preach,  "  He  had  the  art  of 
repeating  some  short  and  striking  sentence  in  a  manner,  and  with  an  effect, 
which  no  man  could  successfully  imitate.  It  was  like  the  repeated  strokes  of 
the  beetle,  in  the  hand  of  a  giant,  upon  the  head  of  the  wedge,  driving  it  to  the 
very  heart  of  the  knotty  oak." 


334  M  EMOIR    OF 

ment,  as  some  have  supposed,  or  because  he  had  not  a  soul 
formed  for  friendship  ;  but  having  devoted  himself  to  a  mis- 
sionary life,  soon  after  his  conversion,  he  supposed  it  would 
be  necessary  for  him  to  remain  single.  Both  he  and  Mills 
entertained  the  opinion,  that  it  would  be  inexpedient,  if  not 
impracticable,  to  take  wives  with  them  on  a  foreign  mission  ; 
and  they  entered  into  an  agreement  on  their  first  acquaintance, 
to  hold  themselves  free  from  all  matrimonial  engagements. 
Afterwards,  the  course  of  life  pursued  by  Dr.  Nettleton,  was 
such  as  to  render  it  inconvenient,  to  say  the  least,  to  enter  into 
the  family  state. 

But  as  I  have  said,  he  had  a  soul  formed  for  friendship.  He 
possessed  a  mild  and  amiable  disposition,  and  rendered  him- 
self exceedingly  agreeable  in  the  society  of  his  friends.  No 
one  could  be  long  in  his  company  without  discovering  the 
kindness  of  his  heart.  He  never  put  on  a  morose,  austere,  or 
sanctimonious  air.  He  was  uniformly  cheerful ;  but  never 
suffered  his  cheerfulness  to  degenerate  into  levity.  His  con- 
versational powers  were  good,  and  were  agreeably  and  use- 
fully employed.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  attempts  to 
interest  young  persons,  and  to  secure  their  confidence  and 
esteem.  He  would  address  them  with  such  kindness  and 
tenderness,  and  make  his  conversation  so  entertaining,  as  well 
as  instructive,  that  it  could  not  fail  to  win  their  affection,  and 
cause  them  to  take  pleasure  in  his  society.  He  was  very 
much  in  the  habit  of  introducing  poetry  to  enliven  conversa- 
tion, and  give  it  a  useful  direction.  In  a  circle  of  young  per- 
sons, he  would  often  read  some  striking  passage  from  Cowper, 
or  Milton,  or  Pollok,  or  Carlos  Wilcox  ;  and  after  commenting 
on  the  beauties  of  the  poetry,  he  would  in  a  natural  and  easy 
way,  lead  their  minds  to  the  contemplation  of  some  important 
truth  suggested  by  the  passage.  Many  a  youth  has  in  this 
way  had  his  attention  first  arrested  to  the  great  concerns  of 
eternity. 


DR.    NETTLETON.  335 


HIS    DISCRETION. 


Dr.  Nettleton  was  preeminently  a  wise  man.  This,  I  pre- 
sume, no  one  will  deny,  who  is  intimately  acquainted  with  his 
history.  In  the  whole  course  of  his  life,  in  matters  of  a  public 
or  private  nature,  he  exhibited  an  uncommon  degree  of  discre- 
tion. He  took  comprehensive  views  of  things,  and  was  able 
beyond  most  men  to  discern  their  relations  and  tendencies, 
and  to  trace  actions  into  their  ultimate  results.  Hence  he 
was  able  to  see,  at  all  times,  what  was  required  by  the  circum- 
stances in  which  he  was  placed.  He  knew  how  to  adapt 
means  to  ends,  and  so  judicious  was  he  in  the  selection  of  his 
means,  that  he  seldom  failed  of  accomplishing  the  ends  which 
he  had  in  view.  He  engaged  in  no  visionary  projects.  He 
was  not  deficient  in  zeal ;  but  his  was  not  the  blind  zeal 
which  leads  to  rash  and  headlong  measures  ;  but  it  was  a  zeal 
which  is  according  to  knowledge.  A  distinguished  clergyman 
who  had  been  intimately  acquainted  with  his  history  for  seve- 
ral years,  and  who  had  noticed  with  admiration  the  skill  with 
which  he  formed  and  executed  his  plans  for  doing  good, 
exclaimed,  "he  is  the  wisest  man  I  ever  knew." 

Good  is  sometimes  done  at  great  expense.  The  indiscre- 
tions of  good  men  not  unfrequently  so  mar  their  works  of 
benevolence,  as  to  render  it  doubtful  whether  more  good  is 
done  than  evil.  As  one  remarks,  "  There  are  men  in  the 
sacred  office,  so  constitutionally  indiscreet,  that  in  whatever 
they  undertake,  they  will  choose  the  wrong  way,  if  there  is 
one.  There  always  have  been  individuals  rushing  into  the 
office,  who  are  lamentably  deficient,  both  in  native  and  acquired 
powers,  for  the  discharge  of  its  duties.  An  illiterate  man,  if 
he  have  good  sense,  and  true  humility,  may  do  good  in  revi- 
vals ;  but  if  he  is  proud,  and  rash,  and  censorious,  as  well  as 
ignorant,  he  will  probably  do  much  more  hurt  than  good  ; 
especially  by  revolting  the  sensibilities  of  intelligent  men,  who 


336  MEMOIR    OF 

think  that  religion  should  promote  sobriety,  decorum,  and  an 
amiable  temper  in  its  subjects."* 

Many  of  the  religious  excitements  which  have  occurred  in 
our  country  within  the  last  twenty  years,  although  they  have 
doubtless  been  the  means  of  the  salvation  of  some  souls  ;  have 
through  injudicious  management,  resulted  in  incalculable  evil. 
Desolation  has  followed  in  their  track.  Churches  have  been 
rent  asunder.  Pastors  have  been  driven  from  their  flocks. 
Souls,  in  great  numbers,  there  is  reason  to  fear,  have  been 
deluded  with  false  and  hypocritical  hopes.  Sinners  have  been 
hardened  in  impenitence.  Not  a  few  have  been  confirmed  in 
infidelity  ;  and  the  very  name  of  a  revival  has  become  a  hiss- 
ing and  a  by-word.  But  it  was  not  so  under  the  labors  of  Dr. 
Nettleton.  The  good  accomplished  by  his  labors  had  no  such 
drawbacks.  The  revivals,  under  his  preaching,  as  we  have 
seen,  were  remarkably  pure.  Those  who  were  admitted  to 
the  churches,  for  the  most  part,  adorned  their  profession.  In 
those  revivals,  churches  were  built  up,  beautified,  and  strength- 
ened. Pastors  were  more  firmly  seated  in  the  affections  of 
their  flocks  ;  and  a  benign  influence  was  shed  upon  the  sur- 
rounding community. 

When  we  consider  the  great  evils  which  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  labors  of  many  modern  evangelists,  and  con- 
trast them  with  the  immense,  and  almost  unmingled  good 
accomplished  by  his  labors,  we  are  forcibly  struck  with  the 
wisdom  of  the  man. 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  a  wise  counsellor.  Many  of  his  breth- 
ren have  felt  and  acknowledged  their  obligations  to  him  for 
salutary  advice  in  difficult  and  trying  circumstances ;  and 
have  ascribed  their  own  usefulness,  in  no  small  degree,  to  the 
aid  derived  from  his  counsels.  And  while  he  was  himself 
an  eminent  example  of  discretion,  he  considered  this  a  prime 
qualification  in  a  minister  of  Christ.     When  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cor- 

Dr.  Porter's  Letters  on  Revivals. 


DR.    NETTLE  TON.  oo7 

nelius  was  Secretary  of  the  American  Education  Society,  he 
submitted  to  Dr.  Nettleton  a  list  of  qualifications  to  be  pos- 
sessed by  those  who  should  be  encouraged  to  enter  the  min- 
istry. It  read  thus.  "1.  Piety.  2.  Talents.  3.  Scholar- 
ship. 4.  Discretion,"  "  Change  the  order,"  said  he.  "Put 
discretion  next  to  piety." 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  written  to  a  theolo- 
gical student  in  1826.  "  It  is  very  important  to  a  young 
preacher  that  he  avoid  a  censorious  spirit,  and  that  he  always 
speak  kindly  to  those  who  are  held  in  reputation  among 
christians.  If  he  labor  among  such,  he  had  better  forego  the 
prospect  of  doing  present  good,  than  to  lose  the  confidence  of 
these  men.  I  can  think  of  times  in  the  early  part  of  my 
ministry,  when  I  had  no  doubt  that  a  given  course  would  be 
blessed  to  the  conversion  of  many  souls.  I  might  have  been 
mistaken.  At  any  rate,  acquiescence  in  the  judgment  of  my 
brethren  would  secure  their  confidence — and  I  have  been 
astonished  to  find  them  so  generally  willing  to  allow  me  to 
adopt  my  own  course.  The  truth  is,  all  christians  are  im- 
perfect ;  and  all  our  exertions  to  do  good,  are  attended  with 
more  or  less  imperfection.  Good  measures  will  be  often 
innocently  opposed,  for  the  want  of  experience  only.  The  same 
measures  may  be  very  good,  or  very  bad  in  different  places, 
and  under  different  circumstances.  The  question  has  often 
been  proposed  in  the  public  prints,  '  What  is  the  best  mode  of 
dealing  with  anxious  souls  V  Much  may  be  said  and  written 
to  profit ;  but  after  all,  we  might  as  well  ask  and  answer  the 
question,  '  What  is  the  best  method  of  treating  all  manner  of 
sicknesses  and  all  manner  of  diseases  among  the  people  ?' 
We  may  talk  about  the  best  means  of  doing  good  ;  but  after 
all,  the  greatest  difficulty  lies  in  doing  it  with  a  proper  spirit. 
Speaking  the  truth  in  love.  In  meekness  instructing  those  that 
oppose  themselves.  With  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ. 
I  have  known  anxious  sinners  drop  the  subject  of  religion  in 
consequence  of  a  preacher  addressing  them  in  an  angry  tone, 
29 


338  MEMOIR     OF 

Mankind,  it  is  true,  will  be  sure  to  find  fault  with  every  thing 
that  awakens  their  fears  ;  but  we  should  endeavor  so  to  con- 
duct, as  to  keep  their  consciences  on  our  side  in  spite  of  all 
their  opposition.  Take  care  and  not  give  them  just  cause  to 
complain." 

In  a  letter  to  the  same  individual,  written  in  1827,  speaking 
of  the  measures  introduced  in  the  western  revivals,  he  says, 
"  It  is  said  that  God  has  blessed  these  measures  to  the  con- 
version of  sinners.  The  same  may  be  said  of  female  preach- 
ing ;  and  it  may  be  asked  in  reference  to  that,  '  How  can  that 
be  wrong  which  God  has  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  a  soul  ?' 
I  answer,  it  is  an  acknowledged  fact,  that  profane  swearing, 
opposition  to  revivals,  mock  conferences  have  all  been  over- 
ruled to  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners.  And  shall 
we  not  encourage  and  defend  these  things  ?  The  man  who 
defends  the  principle  in  question  appears  bad  in  argument  and 
worse  in  practice. 

"  There  is,  no  doubt,  a  kind  of  prudence  which  has  ruined 
thousands  forever.  But  the  preacher  who  condemns  prudence 
in  toto,  will  soon  be  forsaken  by  her  inmate.  Prov.  viii.  12. 
He  may  drive  at  the  understandings  and  consciences  of  his 
hearers  with  all  his  might,  but  there  is  a  point  of  prudence 
beyond  which  he  cannot  pass  without  losing  his  entire  hold 
on  both.  Zeal  without  prudence  will  defeat  its  own  end. 
Zeal  untcmpered  with  love  and  compassion  for  souls,  will  soon 
degenerate  into  harshness  and  cruelty  of  manner  and  expres- 
sion, which  will  have  no  other  effect  on  an  audience  than 
ranting  and  scolding,  and  even  profane  swearing.  The  result 
in  morals  will  be,  what  the  children  of  this  world  denominate 
1  penny-wise,'  and  '  pound-foolish.'  It  is  like  cutting  off  the 
heads  of  hundreds,  to  save  the  life  of  one  man." 

HIS    DISINTERESTEDNESS. 

It  has  already  been  remarked,  that  during  the  ten  years  in 
which  he   was   laboring  almost    constantly  in   revivals,   he 


DR.    NETTLETON.  339 

received  as  compensation,  barely  sufficient  to  defray  his  ex- 
penses. But  he  manifested  no  solicitude  on  that  subject.  At 
a  meeting  of  ministers  on  one  occasion,  when  he  was  present 
an  allusion  was  made  by  some  one  to  the  scanty  support  which 
he  received — he  replied,  by  simply  repeating  the  following- 
passage  of  Scripture,  Luke  xxii.  35 — "  When  I  sent  you 
without  purse,  and  scrip,  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  any  thing  ? 
And  they  said,  nothing." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Chapin,  in  a  letter  from  which  an  extract  has 
been  made  in  a  former  chapter,  says,  "  View  him,  likewise, 
in  relation  to  money.  It  is  certainly  difficult,  probably  impos- 
sible, to  find  an  active  person  more  entirely  free  from  an  ava- 
ricious craving  after  worldly  property,  than  brother  Nettleton 
was  while  with  us,  and  must  indeed  have  previously  been. 
Rather,  he  manifested  the  most  generous  feelings.  On  find- 
ing a  serious  person,  though  indigent,  destitute  of  a  Bible,  or 
psalm-book,  or  hymn-book,  he  would  find  means  of  supplying 
the  deficiency.  He  seemed  not  even  to  think  of  accumula- 
ting property.  It  is  believed  that  while  among  us,  he  did  not 
volunteer  to  mention  such  a  subject.  When  questioned 
touching  his  property,  as  he  was  once,  or  perhaps,  twice — 
his  answer  was  brief,  that  he  was  worth  little  or  nothing. 
The  inquiry  was  immediately  dropped.  Not  a  particle  of 
solicitude  or  care  on  such  a  subject  was  manifested." 

*         *  "In  due  time  the  book  (his  hymn-book)  was 

published.  Here  again,  may  be  seen  his  pious  indifference 
to  worldly  wealth.  Though  he  continued  indigent,  and 
though  he  knew  not  whether  the  work  would  be  acceptable 
and  find  a  demand  in  the  market ;  yet,  supposing  it  possible 
that  the  book  might  be  worth  somethimg  beyond  the  cost  of 
publication,  he  made  a  donation  of  all  the  profits  of  the  first 
edition  to  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M."  The  hymn-book  had  an  exten- 
sive sale,  and  became  the  source  of  a  large  income.  "  But," 
adds  Dr.  Chapin,  "  who  ever  saw  brother  Nettleton  elated  by 
this  unexpected  result.     On  the  contrary,  his  disregard  of 


340  MEMOIR    OF 

worldly  accumulation  appears  to  have  been  in  proportion  to 
his  worldly  success.  His  donations  were  now,  like  his 
income,  enlarged.  With  his  habitual  generosity,  he  remem- 
bered those  whom  he  pleasantly  called  his  poets.  Those,  too, 
were  not  forgotten,  whom  he  accounted  assistants  in  the  pre- 
paration of  his  book.  While  in  Europe,  he  made  another 
handsome  donation  to  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.* 

"  Be  it  now  added,  as  the  crowning  proof  of  brother  Net- 
tleton's  comparative  indifference  for  money,  that  he  gave  a 
noble  portion  of  the  income  derived  from  his  book,  to  a  The- 
ological Institution.  Beyond  question,  this  finishing  act  of 
his  refined  benevolence,  enlarged,  and  expansive  in  the  ratio 
of  his  augmented  means,  emanated  from  the  same  disinterest- 
ed love  of  souls,  and  Christ,  and  salvation  by  grace,  which 
moved  him  to  study  and  labor  so  untiringly  for  the  promotion 
of  pure  revivals." 

RELIGIOUS    CHARACTER. 

That  Dr.  Nettleton  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  piety, 
will  be  evident  to  all  who  have  attentively  perused  the  fore- 
going account  of  his  life.  His  piety  was  deep,  steady,  ope- 
rative, and  consistent.  "  It  was  not  a  flame  that  dazzled  for 
a  moment,  and  then  flickered  and  died  away."  Nor  was  it 
subject  to  those  alternations  of  feeling,  which  are  sometimes 
witnessed  in  emimently  good  men.  Some  seem  to  be  always 
in  the  possession  of  great  spiritual  enjoyment,  or  in  the  hor- 
rors of  thick  darkness.  Dr.  Nettleton's  feelings  were  more 
uniform.  He  seems  never  to  have  been  greatly  elated,  nor 
deeply  depressed  ;  but  to  have  maintained  generally  a  calm 
and  peaceful  frame  of  mind. 

"  His  piety  was  consistent.  There  was  a  beautiful  sym- 
metry in  his  christian  character.  The  various  graces  of  the 
Spirit  were  harmoniously  blended,  and  exhibited,  each  in  its 

*$500. 


DR.     NETTLETON.  341 

proper  place,  and  in  its  due  proportion.  It  is  the  nature  of 
false  religion  to  be  deformed  ;  and  characteristic  of  all  hypo- 
crites, that  they  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallow  a  camel.  But 
the  christian  character  of  Dr.  Nettleton  was  formed  on  prin- 
ciples which  enter  into  all  the  minutiae  of  a  man's  life.  He 
was  not  a  stickler  for  some  things,  while  negligent  of  others 
equally  important.  He  did  not  expend  all  his  zeal  in  oppos- 
ing certain  sins,  and  manifest  no  opposition  to  others  equally 
heinous.  He  did  not  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints,  and  neglect  the  practical  duties  of  reli- 
gion. He  inculcated  alike  the  doctrines  and  duties  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  bore  testimony  against  all  those  sins  by  which 
God  is  dishonored,  and  the  souls  of  men  are  endangered. 

He  was  a  man  of  fixed  religious  principle,  and  great  decision 
of  character.  By  this,  is  meant,  not  that  he  was  self-willed, 
and  bigoted  ;  but  that  he  conscientiously  and  steadily  adhered 
to  what  he  believed  to  be  right.  His  opinions  were  not  form- 
ed hastily,  nor  taken  up  upon  credit,  but  were  the  result  of 
deliberate  and  prayerful  examination  ;  and  when  formed,  they 
were  rarely  changed.  He  acted,  not  from  passion,  or  any 
sudden  impulse  of  the  moment,  but  from  principle  ;  and  could 
not  be  induced  to  swerve  from  the  path  of  duty,  either  by 
flattery,  or  frowns,  or  any  worldly  motive.  When  entreated 
by  one  in  whom  he  had  reposed  great  confidence,  and  whose 
friendship  he  highly  prized,  to  give  up  his  opposition  to  certain 
doctrines,  which  he  believed  to  be  erroneous,  and  of  dangerous 
tendency,  he  replied,  "  You  might  as  well  ask  me  to  cut  off  my 
conscience  and  throw  it  away."  He  was  not  influenced  by 
the  principles  and  practices  of  others,  any  farther  than  he  was 
satisfied  that  they  were  conformed  to  the  word  of  God.  He 
thought  for  himself,  and  formed  his  purposes  in  the  fear  of 
God,  and  with  reference  to  the  final  judgment,  ks  was  said 
of  another,  "  It  was  not  enough  for  him,  that  others  believed, 
and  allowed,  and  practiced  ; — he  was  not  content  till  he  saw 
the  reason,  and  his  hands,  as  it  were,  handled  the  evidence. 
29* 


342  MEMOIR    OF 

This,  with  his  love  of  truth,  his  reverence  of  the  divine  au- 
thority, and  his  sense  of  obligation,  guarded  him  against  rash 
conclusions,  and  led  him  cheerfully  to  renounce  whatever  he 
found  to  be  erroneous,  and  to  adopt  what  he  found  to  be  in 
accordance  with  the  law  and  the  testimony." 

Humility — was  a  striking  trait  in  the  character  of  Dr. 
Nettleton.  When  a  young  man,  he  read  in  an  old  book  this 
maxim  :  "  Do  all  the  good  you  can  in  the  world,  and  make 
as  little  noise  about  it  as  possible"  This  maxim  had  great 
influence  in  the  formation  of  his  character.  He  treasured  it 
up  iu  his  memory,  and  believing  it  to  be  in  accordance  with 
the  precepts  of  the  gospel,  he  made  it  a  rule  of  conduct. 
Hence  every  thing  like  ostentation,  he  abhorred.  Few  men 
ever  had  greater  temptations  to  the  indulgence  of  pride.  His 
great  popularity  as  a  preacher,  and  the  almost  unparalleled 
success  which  attended  his  labors,  even  while  he  was  but  a 
youth,  constituted  a  source  of  great  danger.  Many  of  his 
fathers  and  brethren  in  the  ministry  trembled  for  him,  lest  he 
should  be  lifted  up  with  pride.  But  he  seems  to  have  been 
remarkably  delivered  from  the  power  of  this  temptation.  Not- 
withstanding his  great  popularity,  he  seems  not  to  have  been 
elated.  He  was  modest  and  unassuming,  and  always  sensi- 
ble that  the  success  which  attended  his  labors,  was  not  owing 
to  any  goodness  in  himself,  but  to  the  sovereign  grace  of 
God. 

He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  deceitfulness  and  wick- 
edness of  the  human  heart.  He  knew,  of  course,  how  to  form 
a  just  estimate  of  his  own  character.  He  knew  that  in  the 
sight  of  God  he  was  vile,  and  like  Job,  he  abhorred  himself. 
He  was  also  sensible  of  his  entire  dependence  on  God,  for 
any  measure  of  faithfulness  which  he  might  have  exhibited 
in  his  service,  and  for  all  the  success  which  had  attended  his 
labors.  This  truth  he  endeavored  to  keep  constantly  before 
his  mind — when  speaking  of  the  revivals,  which  occurred 


DR.    NETTLETON.  343 

under  his  preaching,  he  was  careful  to  take  no  credit  to  him- 
self, but  to  give  the  glory  to  God,  to  whom  all  glory  is  due. 
He  was  aware  of  his  danger  ;  and  with  much  prayer  and 
watchfulness  guarded  against  it.  When  once  asked,  what 
he  considered  the  best  safeguard  against  spiritual  pride,  he 
replied,  "  I  know  of  nothing  better  than  to  keep  my  eye  on  my 
great  sinfulness." 

Dr.  Shepard,  of  Lenox,  says,  "  He  would  not  suffer  any 
one  to  commend  his  sermons,  or  any  of  his  public  performan- 
ces, or  to  speak  of  the  success  of  his  labors,  if  he  could  pre- 
vent it;  and  when  any  one  attempted  to  praise  him  in  view 
of  the  good  he  had  done,  it  seemed  directly  to  fill  his  heart 
with  grief." 

Mr.  Cobb,  of  Taunton,  also  says,  "  He  was  remarkably  free 
from  the  love  of  applause.  When  any  one  spoke  to  him  of  the 
good  he  was  doing,  he  would  sometimes  reply,  '  we  have  no 
time  to  talk  about  that.'  And  frequently  I  have  known  him  to 
turn  pale  and  retire  from  the  company,  and  prostrate  himself 
before  God,  as  a  great  and  unworthy  sinner." 

Dr.  Nettleton  was  never  forward  to  speak  of  his  own  reli- 
gious experience.  To  his  intimate  friends,  he  would  some- 
times open  his  heart  freely.  But  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
referring  to  himself  in  his  preaching,  nor  in  his  ordinary  con- 
versation. And  it  was  always  painful  to  him  to  see  others 
disposed  on  all  occasions  to  talk  about  themselves.  Such  a 
practice  seemed  to  him  to  be  adapted  to  fan  the  flame  of  spir- 
itual pride,  and  to  excite  and  cherish  the  prejudices  of  the 
ungodly,  rather  than  to  recommend  religion  to  the  world. 

Love  to  the  souls  of  men — was  another  striking  trait 
in  the  character  of  Dr.  Nettleton.  It  has  been  remarked  that 
"the  mind  sometimes  receives  a  bias  in  conversion,  or  the 
period  of  first  love,  which  gives  a  particular  direction  to  the 
whole  course  of  future  life."  It  may  have  been  so  in  this  case. 
In  the  period  of  his  espousals  to  Christ,  the  worth  of  the  soul 
and  the  affecting  condition  of  all  unrenewed  men,  were  pow- 


S44 


M  E M  O I R    OF 


erfully  impressed  upon  his  mind,  and  awakened  most  intense 
desires  for  their  salvation.  He  used  to  say  to  himself,  "  If  I 
might  be  the  means  of  the  salvation  of  one  soul,  I  should  pre- 
fer it  to  all  the  riches  and  honors  of  this  world."  It  was  this 
which  prompted  him  to  seek  the  christian  ministry,  and  to 
persevere  amid  so  many  discouragements  in  his  efforts  to  ob- 
tain a  liberal  education.  It  was  this  which  kindled  in  his 
heart  such  zeal  in  the  cause  of  his  master,  and  stimulated  him 
to  such  arduous  and  unremitted  labors.  And  when  through 
loss  of  health,  he  was  compelled  to  desist  in  a  great  measure 
from  active  labor,  it  was  still  his  heart's  desire  and  prayer  to 
God  for  sinners,  that  they  might  be  saved.  He  could  still  say 
with  the  Psalmist,  "  If  I  forget  thee,  O,  Jerusalem,  let  my 
right  hand  forget  her  cunning ;  if  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let 
my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth,  if  I  prefer  not 
Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy."  It  was  the  deep  interest 
which  he  felt  in  the  cause  of  Zion  and  the  salvation  of  souls, 
which  filled  him  with  such  concern  in  view  of  the  prevalence 
of  those  errors  in  doctrine  and  practice,  which  he  felt  it  his 
duty  to  oppose.  It  was  his  solemn  conviction,  that  these 
things  were  introducing  a  spurious  religion,  and  destroying 
the  souls  of  men,  which  led  him  to  take  a  stand  against  them. 
The  following  passage  in  the  life  of  Brainerd  exactly  expressed 
the  feelings  which  he  often  manifested. 

11  These  things  1  saw  with  great  clearness,  when  I  was 
thought  to  be  dying,  and  God  gave  me  great  concern  for  his 
church  and  interest  in  the  world  at  this  time.  Not  so  much 
because  the  late  remarkable  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the 
people  was  abated,  and  almost  wholly  gone,  as  because  the 
false  religion,  the  heats  of  imagination,  and  wild  and  selfish 
commotions  of  the  animal  affections  which  attended  the  work 
of  grace,  had  prevailed  so  far.  This  was  what  my  mind  dwelt 
upon  day  and  night ;  and  this  to  me  was  the  darkest  appear- 
ance respecting  religion  in  the  land.  For  it  was  this  chiefly 
that  had  prejudiced  the  world  against  inward  religion.     This 


DR.NETTLETON.  3  45 

I  saw  was  the  greatest  misery  of  all,  that  so  few  saw  any 
manner  of  difference  between  those  exercises  which  are  spir- 
itual and  holy,  and  those  which  have  self-love  for  their 

BEGINNING,  CENTRE,  AND  END."* 

The  deep  interest  which  Dr.  Nettleton  felt  in  the  cause  of 
Zion,  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  is  strikingly  manifest  in  his 
letter  to  Dr.  Beecher,  written  in  1822,  and  inserted  in  a  former 
chapter.     He  says, 

"  I  hear  frequently  from  many  places  where  God  has,  of 
late,  poured  out  his  spirit  and  revived  his  work.  My  friends 
residing  in  these  places,  far  and  near,  either  visit  me,  or  write 
to  me,  and  tell  me  all  their  joys  and  sorrows.  For  a  number 
of  years,  I  have  kept  a  list  of  the  names  of  those  who  have 
hopefully  experienced  religion,  and  made  a  public  profession 
of  it,  in  these  revivals.  When  far  from  them,  in  my  retired 
moments,  I  have  often  read  over  their  names,  and  pondered 
on  them,  and  on  the  scenes  they  have  awakened,  with  emo- 
tions too  big  for  utterance.  I  have  watched  them  with  anx- 
ious solicitude,  and  have  made  particular  inquiry  about  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  each  one,  as  opportunity  presented.  My 
heart  has  often  been  refreshed  when  some  Timothy  has 
brought  me  good  tidings  of  the  faith  and  charity  of  these  young 
converts.  No  tidings  have  been  more  refreshing.  I  have 
often  had  occasion  to  adopt  the  language  of  Paul  on  this  very 
subject  ;  "  What  thanks  can  we  render  to  God  again  for  all  the 
joy  wherewith  we  joy  for  your  sakes  before  God."  Some  few 
indeed  have  dishonored  their  profession,  have  opened  afresh 
the  wounds  of  the  Saviour,  and  caused  the  hearts  of  his  friends 
to  bleed.  Bunyan  says,  '  If  at  any  time  I  heard  of  such  in- 
stances of  apostacy  among  those  that  have  been  hopefully 
benefited  by  my  ministry,  I  feel  worse  than  if  I  had  followed 
one  of  my  natural  children  to  the  grave.'  I  have  lost  near  and 
dear  relatives,  but  the  things  of  which  Bunyan  speaks,  have 

*  Brainerd's  Life.  p.  498. 


346 


MEMOIR     OF 


sometimes  struck  me  with  a  deeper  sadness."  Who  can  read 
this,  and  doubt  that  the  writer  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  Zion  and  the  salvation  of  souls  ? 

Meekness — was  another  trait  in  the  character  of  Dr.  Net- 
tleton.  The  success  of  his  labors  greatly  exasperated  the 
enemies  of  religion,  and  awakened  in  their  breasts  the  most 
malignant  hostility.  False  reports,  intended  to  destroy  his 
character,  were  invented  and  industriously  circulated  ;  and 
in  other  ways,  he  frequently  met  with  personal  abuse.  But 
the  malice  of  his  enemies  awakened  only  his  pity.  So  far  as 
1  have  been  able  to  learn,  he  was  never  known  to  manifest  the 
least  resentment  towards  those  who  slandered  and  abused 
him.  When  reviled,  he  reviled  not  again.  When  he  suffered 
he  threatened  not,  but  committed  himself  to  him  who  judgeth 
righteously.  He  felt  himself  laid  under  special  obligations 
to  pray  for  his  persecutors  ;  and  to  the  honor  of  divine  grace, 
let  it  be  recorded,  not  a  few  of  them  were  hopefully  brought 
to  repentance,  and  became  some  of  his  most  ardent  friends. 

He  never  allowed  himself  to  talk  about  the  ill  treatment 
which  he  received  from  his  enemies,  lest  it  should  awaken 
wrong  feelings  in  his  heart.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  inculca- 
ting upon  young  converts  a  spirit  of  meekness  :  and  for  this 
purpose,  he  often  brought  before  their  minds  the  words  of  the 
Apostle,  1  Pet.  ii.  20,  21,  "  For  what  glory  is  it,  if,  when  ye 
be  buffeted  for  your  faults,  ye  shall  take  it  patiently  ?  but  if 
when  ye  do  well  and  suffer  for  it  ye  take  it  patiently,  this  is 
acceptable  with  God  ;  for  even  hereunto  were  ye  called ; 
because  Christ  also  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example  that 
ye  should  follow  his  steps."  He  also  frequently  referred  to 
this  passage.  Prov.  xxiv.  17,  18,  "Rejoice  not  when  thine 
enemy  falleth,  and  let  not  thine  heart  be  glad  when  he  stum- 
bleth,  lest  the  Lord  see  it,  and  it  displease  him."  He  evi- 
dently possessed  in  an  uncommon  degree,  that  charity  which 
suffereth  long  and  is  kind,  which  envieth  not,  which  vaunteth 
not  itself  and  is  not  puffed  up,  which  doth  not  behave  itself 


DR.    NETTLETON.  347 

unseemly,  which  seeketh  not  her  own,  is  not  easily  provoked, 
thinketh  no  evil,  which  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things, 
hopeth  all  things,  endureth  all  things. 

An  unwavering  attachment  to  the  doctrines  of 
grace — was  a  striking  trait  in  the  character  of  Dr.  Nettleton. 
He  not  only  embraced  these  doctrines  in  all  their  fullness, 
and  practical  application,  but  "  he  may  be  said  to  have  kept 
the  faith  with  undeviating  constancy."  Like  the  thousands 
who  were  converted  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  he  continued 
steadfast  in  the  Apostles'1  doctrine.  He  was  not  carried  about 
by  divers  and  strange  doctrines,  but  his  heart  was  established 
with  grace.  His  belief  in  the  great  doctrinet  of  the  cross 
was  so  interwoven  with  his  religious  experience,  and  so  iden- 
tified with  all  his  hopes  of  future  happiness,  that  his  faith 
never  wavered. 

He  died  in  the  full  and  firm  belief  of  the  doctrines  which  he 
maintained  and  defended  while  he  lived. 

But  he  was  not  a  perfect  man.  He  had  his  failings.  He 
was  ready  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  a  miserable  sinner, 
and  that  his  proper  place  was  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  But 
his  faults  were  better  known  to  himself  and  his  God,  than  to 
his  fellow-men. 

It  is  true,  he  did  not  escape  reproach.  His  great  success 
as  a  minister  of  Christ,  brought  upon  him  the  maledictions  of 
infidels  and  scoffers,  and  stimulated  them  to  the  most  unremit- 
ted efforts  to  destroy  his  character  ;  and  many  a  time  might  he 
have  said,  "  If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord  who  was  on  my  side 
when  men  rose  up  against  me,  then  they  had  swallowed  me  up 
quick,  when  their  wrath  was  kindled  against  me."  But  he 
trusted  in  God,  and  through  his  merciful  interposition,  he  esca- 
ped as  a  bird  out  of  the  snare  of  the  fowler.* 

*  When  Dr.  Nettieton  was  in  Virginia,  in  1828,  a  man  from  Connecticut,  who 
was  residing  there,  put  in  circulation  some  slanderous  reports,  which  induced 
the  Rev.  Dr.  John  H.  Rice  to  write  to  several  distinguished  individuals  at  the 
North,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  how  Dr.  Nettleton's  character  was  re- 


348  __    MEMOIR    OF 

On  account  of  his  opposition  to  certain  doctrines  and  cer- 
tain measures,  he  was  severely  censured  by  some  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  other  professed  followers  of 
Christ.  Whether  justly  or  unjustly,  the  reader  will  judge, 
after  attentively  considering  what  has  been  said  in  the  prece- 
ding chapters.     One  thing  is  certain  ;  the  things   for  which 

garded  by  those  who  had  been  well  acquainted  with  his  history.     In  reply  to  his 
letters,  many  testimonials  were  forwarded,  among  which  were  the  following: 

"Yale  College,  Aug.  23,  1826. 

"  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir : 

"I  have  most  cheerfully  obtained  the  testimonials  which  you  have  requested 
in  your  letter  of  the  9th.  Perhaps  this  is  all  which  the  occasion  requires.  The 
injurious  reports  to  which  you  refer,  I  do  not  recollect  to  have  heard  of  before.  I 
am  now  told  that  they  were  some  years  since  put  in  circulation  here,  examined 
into,  and  found  to  be  groundless.  That  they  were  mere  fabrications  appears 
evident  from  this,  that  up  to  the  present  time,  Mr.  Nettleton's  christian  charac- 
ter stands  as  fair  as  ever  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  of  Connecticut,  to  whom 
he  has  been  so  intimately  known.  Most  affectionately  yours, 

"Jeremiah  Day. 

"Rev.  John  H.  Rice,  D.  D." 

"The  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton  has  been  long  and  extensively  known  and  ac- 
knowledged in  this  State,  as  a  faithful  and  devoted  minister  of  Christ ;  as  a  man 
of  exemplary  piety,  of  rare  self-denial,  and  of  uncommon  power  and  success,  in 
his  labors  as  an  evangelist.  Though  occasionally  assailed  by  calumny,  his  chris- 
tian character  is  above  suspicion,  in  the  view  of  the  ministers  and  churches  in 
this  State,  to  whom  he  is  intimately  known,  and  who  have  cause  for  abundant 
gratitude  that  the  blessing  of  heaven  has  descended  in  copious  measures  upon 
his  public  ministrations. 

Jeremiah  Day,  President  of  Yale  College  ; 

Leonard  Bacon,  Pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  New  Haven  ; 

Nathaniel  W.  Taylor,  Prof,  of  Didactic  Theology; 

Chauncey  A.  Goodrich,  Prof,  of  Rhetoric  ; 

Eleazer  T.  Fitch,  Prof,  of  Divinity; 

Samuel  Merwin,  Pastor  of  the  United  Society  in  the  City 
of  New  Haven." 

"  Boston,  Aug.  22, 1828. 
"  Dear  Brother : 

"It  is,  I  should  think,  about  ten  years  since  those  stories,  imported  into  Virgin- 
ia, by  Mr.  O.  W.,  have  been  dead  and  buried  in  Connecticut,  having  served  the 
generation  of  infidels  and  scoffers,  and  all  haters  oPevangelical  doctrine  and  of 
revivals,  as  long  as  they  were  able. 

"Never,  for  a  moment,  were  they  believed  by  the  ministers  and  churches  of 


DR.    NETTLETON.  349 

be  was  censured,  were  things  in  which  he  conscientiously 
believed  he  was  doing  his  duty — things  to  which  he  was 
prompted  by  a  supreme  regard  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
interests  of  Zion.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  therefore,  that  those  who 
believe  him  to  have  erred,  will  do  justice  to  his  motives. 

Connecticut,  nor  did  they  do  him  the  least  injury,  only  as  they  were  sent  after 
him,  or  sent  for  to  the  places  where  his  preaching  was  blessed  ;  nor  even  then 
only  till  the  friends  of  religion  had  opportunity  to  obtain  correct  information  on 
the  subject.  It  would  be  difficult  for  a  Virginian  to  conceive  the  virulence  with 
which  some  persons  in  New  England  oppose  revivals  of  religion,  without  under- 
standing that  in  many  places  where  the  truth  has  been  preached  too  faithfully 
to  be  endured  in  a  state  of  disobedience,  there  is  often  a  club  of  infidels  or  noth- 
ingarians, whose  enmity  is  always  made  rampant  by  a  revival  of  religion,  and 
whose  ridicule  and  misrepresentation  are  sure  to  be  propagated  by  the  irrelig- 
ious and  immoral.  Such,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  origin  of  all  the  stories  against 
brother  Nettleton  in  Connecticut.  His  friends  debated  the  question  once, 
whether  it  might  not  be  his  duty  to  sue,  not  doubting  that  he  possessed  the 
entire  power  of  bringing  his  accusers  to  punishment.  But  the  conclusion  was, 
with  the  religious  and  respectable  part  of  the  community,  they  do  him  no  harm, 
and  it  w  ill  be  better  for  the  cause  of  religion  that  he  hold  his  peace,  and  live  them 
down.  This  he  has  done  ;  and  it  is  out  of  the  power  of  such  men  as  W.  and  K. 
S.  II.  to  injure  Mr.  Nettleton  in  Connecticut.  H.,  I  suppose  I  know,  W.  I  do 
not.  But  I  know  that  in  S.  there  was  probably  a  larger  club  of  infidels,  or  per- 
sons reputed  such,  than  in  almost  any  town  in  the  State.  *  *  *  *  The 
alleged  dissatisfaction  with  Mr.  Nettleton  at  New  Haven  is,  in  my  opinion, 
utterly  false.  I  have  been  often  in  that  city,  and  am  more  familiarly  acquaint- 
ed there  than  in  any  other  place  in  Connecticut,  it  being  the  place  of  my  nativity, 
and  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres.  I  do  know  that  Mr.  Nettleton  possesses  emi- 
nently the  affection  and  confidence  of  the  ministers  and  churches,  and  most 
respectable  laymen  in  the  city. 

"As  further  evidence  of  the  perfect  impotency  of  all  such  rumors  against  Mr. 
Nettleton  in  Connecticut,  I  would  state  that  about  six  years  ago,  on  the  failure 
of  my  health,  I  left  my  church  and  congregation  in  the  care  of  Mr.  Nettleton, 
under  whose  preaching,  before  my  return,  a  revival  of  religion  commenced, 
during  which  he  secured  eminently  the  confidence  and  affection  of  my  people, 
which  to  this  day  remains  undiminished.  In  short,  there  is  not  a  minister  in 
New  England  whose  character  for  piety  and  purity  stands  higher  than  does  thai 
of  Mr.  Nettleton. 

"  You  will  receive  further  communications  in  due  time,  for  you  may  rest  as- 
sured that  we  possess  the  means,  and  shall  not  fail  to  use  them,  of  putting  down 
such  impudent  falsehoods,  and  of  vindicating  the  well-earned  reputation  of  Mr. 
Nettleton.  Affectionately  yours, 

"  Lyman  Beecher." 
30 


350  MEMOIR     OF 

In  Conclusion,  it  may  be  said  of  him  as  was  said  of  anoth- 
er, "  By  the  grace  of  God,  he  was  what  he  was,"  and  to  the 
honor  of  grace,  and  not  for  the  glory  of  a  sinful  worm,  be  it 
recorded.  Like  all  other  men,  he  was  depraved.  He  felt  it, 
and  lamented  it,  and  longed  to  be  free  from  sin,  but  certainly 
taking  him  altogether,  we  have  seldom  seen  a  character  whose 
excellencies  were  so  many  and  so  uniform,  and  whose  imper- 
fections were  so  few.  We  have  seen  men  rise  high  in  con- 
templation, who  have  abounded  but  little  in  action.  We  have 
seen  zeal  mingled  with  bitterness,  and  candor  degenerate 
into  indifference  ; — experimental  religion  mixed  with  a  large 

To  this  letter  is  appended  the  following,  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Taylor: 

"  Dear  Brother : 

"  Dr.  Beeeher  has  sent  this  to  me  unsealed,  and  1  take  the  liberty  to  add  a 
word.  What  he  has  said  is  as  it  should  be— exactly  my  views  of  the  matter.  I 
should  only  object  to  further  means  of  putting  down  these  '  impudent  false- 
hoods.' I  think  I  know  brother  Nettleton  too  well  to  suppose  he  would  wish  it. 
If  such  testimonials  as  this  of  Dr.  Beeeher  and  others  are  not  sufficient  to  give 
brother  Nettleton  a  character  in  Virginia,  in  defiance  of  the  obloquy  of  his  ene- 
mies and  ins  Master's,  he  had  better  come  back  to  Connecticut.  The  ministers 
anclchurches  would  be  glad  to  receive  hirn,  and  highly  appreciate  his  labors. 
These  slanders  are  simply  the  'homage  vice  pays  to  virtue.'  'Wo  unto  you, 
when  all  men  shall  speak  well  of  you.'  Brother  Nettleton  is  safe  from  this  de- 
nunciation. I  am  affectionately  yours, 

"N.  W.  Taylor." 

"  New  Haven,  Sept,  17,  1828. 
"  We,  the  undersigned,  having  been  for  many  years  acquainted  with  the  chai 
act<  i  of  the  Rev.  Asahel  Nettleton,  do  hereby  certify  that  we  considerhim  as  a 
man  of  unblemished  purity  of  life  ;  that  we  believe  this  to  be  the  estimation  in 
which  he  is  universally  held  in  this  town,  and  in  this  State;  and  that  no  fact  has 
ever  come  to  our  knowledge,  which  ought  to  impair  the  confidence  of  the  public 
in  his  character  as  a  christian  and  a  man. 

David  Daggett,  Benjamin  Silliman, 

Simeon  Baldwin,  J.  Knight, 

Noah  Webster,  Eli  Ives, 

Elizur  Goodrich,  J.  L.  Kingsley. 

Similar  testimonials  were  forwarded  by  other  distinguished  gentlemen,  both 
in  New  England  and  New  York  ;  particularly  by  the  Hon.  John  Cotton  Smith, 
of  Connecticut ;  and  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  Spring,  Mc  Auley,  and  Proudfit,  and  by 
the  Hon.  Jonas  Piatt,  of  New  York. 


DIt.    NETTLETON.  351 

portion  of  enthusiasm,  and  what  is  called  rational  religion, 
void  of  every  thing  that  interests  the  heart  of  man.  We  have 
seen  splendid  talents  tarnished  with  insufferable  pride,  serious- 
ness with  melancholy,  cheerfulness  with  levity,  and  great  at- 
tainments in  religion  with  uncharitable  censoriousness  towards 
men  of  low  degree ;  but  we  have  not  seen  these  things  in 
[Nettleton.] 

';  There  have  been  but  few  men  in  whom  have  been  united 
a  greater  proportion  of  the  contemplative  and  active  ;  holy 
zeal  and  genuine  candor  ;  spirituality  and  rationality  ;  talents 
that  attracted  almost  universal  applause,  and  the  most  unaf- 
fected modesty  ;  faithfulness  in  bearing  testimony  against  evil, 
with  the  tenderest  compassion  to  the  soul  of  the  evil  doer  ; 
fortitude  that  would  encounter  any  difficulty  in  the  way  of 
duty,  without  any  thing  boisterous,  noisy,  or  overbearing  ;  deep 
seriousness  with  habitual  cheerfulness  ;  and  a  constant  aim  to 
promote  the  highest  degrees  of  piety  in  himself  and  others, 
with  a  readiness  to  hope  the  best  of  the  lowest,  not  breaking 
the  bruised  reed,  nor  quenching  the  smoking  flax."* 

Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  the  following  letters  have 
been  received.  The  first  is  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Tenney,  late 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Wethersfield,  Conn.;  and  the  other 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey,  late  President  of  Amherst  Col- 
lege. They  were  both  intimately  acquainted  with  Dr.  Net- 
tleton ;  and  1  am  happy  to  find  such  a  coincidence  of  views 
between  them  and  myself,  in  regard  to  the  character  of  this 
distinguished  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Dr.  Tenney  says,  "  My  particular  acquaintance  with  Dr. 
Nettleton  commenced  in  1818,  while  he  was  laboring  in  a  revi- 
val in  Rocky  Hill,  a  parish  in  Wethersfield.  My  acquaintance 
became  intimate  during  nearly  three  months  of  his  labors  with 
me  in  a  great  revival,  in  the  winter  of  1820-21.  I  have  felt 
that  he  was  a  remarkable  man — fitted  to  draw  forth  the  often 


*  Fuller's  Memoir  of  Pcarce. 


352  MEMOIR    OF 

repeated  saying  of  a  venerable  President  of  a  distinguished 
College,  respecting  him — '  a  wonderfully  wise  man  /'  lie  was 
distinguished  for  a  ready,  clear,  correct,  and  far-reaching  per- 
ception, or  discernment.  Almost  as  by  intuition,  he  discerned 
individual  characters,  and  seemed  to  see  the  precise  truth 
fitted  to  reprove,  or  benefit  them.  At  once,  he  seemed  to  learn 
the  state  of  a  church  and  people  ;  and  to  see  doctrines  and 
errors,  and  all  their  bearings  and  tendencies,  and  to  bring 
them  instantly  to  what  he  regarded  as  the  supreme  test,  the 
word  of  God.  In  the  scriptures,  he  was  mighty.  He  had 
evidently  studied  the  word  of  God  much,  and  'deeply,  and 
seemed  to  perceive  the  exact  purport  and  design  of  a  verse,  a 
paragraph,  or  larger  portion,  and  to  see  its  precise  application 
and  force.  He  entered  so  much  into  the  very  meaning  and 
spirit  of  the  word  of  God,  that  on  almost  any  passage  he 
would  so  naturally  and  strikingly  present  the  meaning,  as  to 
appear  singularly  original.  Conversing  at  one  time  in  my 
study,  with  a  number  who  had  for  a  considerable  period 
indulged  hope,  but  who  were  disposed  to  hesitate  and  delay  in 
professing  religion,  he  turned  to  Luke  viii.  45,  48,  and  briefly 
stated,  that  the  diseased  woman  feared  and  trembled  (after  she 
had  been  healed  by  touching  Christ  in  the  crowd,)  when  she 
perceived  that  Christ  would  bring  her  and  the  miracle  to  pub- 
lic view.  And  well  she  might  tremble,  said  he,  for  .she  had 
been  stealing  a  cure,  and  meant  to  conceal  herself  in  the  mul- 
titude ;  and  now  she  expected  reproof  from  Christ ;  but  when 
she  confessed  the  whole,  before  all  the  people,  he  said  to  her, 
1  Daughter,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole, 
go  in  peace.'  He  then  guarded  the  converts  against  conceal- 
ing among  the  multitude,  what  Christ  had  done  for  them,  or 
fearing  his  rebuke,  if  they  confessed  him  before  all  the  people. 
"  To  a  man  of  education,  and  of  a  very  proud  spirit,  who 
under  some  seriousness  of  mind,  had  a  private  interview  with 
Dr.  Nettleton,  who  said  at  its  close,  'Mr.  Nettleton,  I  will 
thank  you  not  to  speak  of  my  case  to  any  one,  for  it  is  doubt- 


DR.     NETTLE  TON.  353 

ful  yet.  what  the  result  will  be,'  he- at  once  replied,  « I  agree 
with  you  perfectly,  that  it  is  best  your  case  should  not  be 
known  ;  and  I  engage  to  keep  it  entirely  to  myself,  and  if  you 
will  do  the  same,  it  will  not  be  known.  It  is  as  you  say,  very 
doubtful  how  the  case  will  turn.  You  may  soon  give  up  the 
subject,  and  lose  your  soul.'  Under  this  remark,  the  man  was 
soon  so  deeply  distressed  that  he  cared  not  if  the  whole  world 
knew  it ;  and  very  soon  he  found  peace. 

"  When  a  person  once  asked  me  with  a  supercilious  air, 
1  Do  you,  according  to  the  Assembly's  Catechism,  believe  that 
God  has  foreordained  whatsover  comes  to  pass  V  Dr.  Nettle- 
ton,  coming  up  at  that   moment,   said  to   him  in  reply,  '  Mr. 

P do  you  believe  that  God  worketh   all   things   after  the 

counsel  of  his  own  will?1  Perpetually  did  his  ready  and  clear 
discernment  of  men  and  things  exhibit  itself.  This  gave  him 
power  in  conversation,  in  the  room  for  inquiry,  and  in  the 
pulpit.  Clear  minds  always  present  truth  in  a  clear,  simple, 
and  convincing  style.  He  did  so  eminently.  The  word  of 
God,  in  his  hands,  was  indeed  a  sharp  two  edged  sword  that 
pierced,  and  was  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of 
the  heart.  His  preaching  was  emphatically  '  in  demonstration 
of  the  spirit  and  with  power.'  There  was  not  the  least  attempt 
at  display.  He  was  always  hidden  behind  his  subject,  and 
he  would  present  that  so  clearly,  and  naturally,  and  justly,  and 
strikingly,  that  his  hearers  were  filled  with  the  light  of  truth, 
rather  than  admiration  of  the  man.  He  addressed  the  reason 
and  consciences  of  men  in  a  way  not  to  excite  their  animal 
passions,  or  any  outbreak  of  feeling  ;  but  to  reach,  and  search, 
and  move  the  deepest  sensibilities  of  their  souls.  This  did, 
under  him,  as  it  docs  in  every  case,  secure  the  utmost  still- 
ness, the  most  fixed,  and  almost  breathless  attention,  and  the 
most  profound  solemnity.  His  was  the  eloquence  of  thought,  of 
truth,  of  living,  burning  truth  from  the  living  God.  In  such 
eloquence  I  have  never  known  him  surpassed — seldom  equaled. 
The  Spirit  of  God  was  in  it.  His  preaching  seemed  in  perfect 
CO* 


354  MEMOIR    OF 

harmony  with  the  word  of  God,   and   with  the  influences   of 
the  Spirit  upon  the  minds  of  men. 

"  In  revivals  of  religion,  he  appeared  to  be  peculiarly  at 
home.  He  had  evidently  been,  in  his  own  conviction  and 
conversion,  very  thoroughly  taught  of  God,  and  had  also  made 
the  work  of  the  Spirit,  a  subject  of  deep  study.  If  he  laid 
stress  on  what  some  regarded  as  little  things,  it  was  because 
he  clearly  saw  the  important  bearings  of  little,  as  well  as  great 
tilings.  Some  of  his  movements  in  going  from  one  place  to 
another,  sometimes  appeared  strange,  because  others  saw  not, 
and  he  was  not  wont  to  expose,  all  the  reasons  which  gov- 
erned his  conduct.  It  was  his  constant  aim  to  keep  a  church 
humble,  sensible  of  their  dependence,  and  prayerful.  He 
seemed  perfectly  to  understand  the  circumstances,  and  agents 
opposed  to  revivals,  and  how  to  counteract  them.  He 
preached  the  great  evangelical  doctrines  which  exalt  God  and 
abase  man.  He  preached  the  sovereignty  of  God,  in  all  its 
extent  and  bearings,  and  equally  the  infinite  obligations  of  man. 
He  had  the  most  wonderful  talent  of  waking  up  the  conscience, 
and  bringing  it  in  to  the  utmost  activity.  He  drove  sinners  with 
masterly  skill  from  one  excuse  and  refuge  after  another,  till 
he  drove  them,  through  the  aids  of  the  Spirit,  to  total  despair, 
except  in  the  mercy  of  God  through  a  Redeemer.  He  preached 
and  labored  in  revivals  in  so  wise  a  manner,  as  to  render  reli- 
gion and  revivals  real  and  respectable,  in  the  view  of  intelli- 
gent men,  and  many  of  the  best  cultivated  minds,  and  in  the 
highest  walks  of  life,  were  drawn  over  to  the  cross,  instead 
of  being  driven  off  by  low,  or  extravagant  measures  to  a 
returnless  distance  from  their  own  denomination  and  religion. 
He  had  no  sympathy  with  '  anxious  seats' — with  the  plan  of 
calling  upon  thoughtful  sinners  in  an  assembly  to  bow  their 
heads,  and  follow  him  in  a  form  of  consecrating  themselves  to 
God — nor  of  urging  anxious  sinners  to  speak  and  pray  in  a 
meeting  for  inquiry — nor  of  urging  converts  at  once  to  exhort 
and  pray,  or  tell   their  experience   in  public  meetings.     He 


DR.     NETTLETON.  355 

never  raised  among  converts  a  company  of  extorters  and  lay 
preachers,  much  more  ready,  whenever  they  could  get  an 
opportunity,  to  speak  than  to  hear,  to  exhort  than  to  receive 
instruction,  to  edify  others  by  their  own  prayers,  than  to  be 
edified  by  the  prayers  of  older  and  more  experienced  chris- 
tians. Converts  under  his  labors  were  humble  and  teachable, 
and  felt  that,  at  most,  they  were  babes  in  Christ,  and  needed 
the  sincere  milk  of  the  word.  Their  disposition  was  the  very 
opposite  of  self-confidence,  arrogance,  and  denunciation  of 
others  less  engaged  than  themselves.  Still  they  were  ready 
to  every  good  work  in  their  proper  sphere,  and  with  all 
becoming  meekness  and  humility.  He  led  them  to  hold 
prayer  meetings  among  themselves,  and  they  became  united 
together  in  bands  of  love  that  could  not  be  easily  broken. 

"  The  converts,  with  very  few  exceptions,  were  eminently 
intelligent  and  sound ;  and  proved  by  their  subsequent  lives 
that  they  possessed  the  power  as  well  as  the  form  of  godliness. 
The  revivals  in  which  he  labored  were  emphatically  pure, 
genuine  revivals  of  true  religion,  as  much  so  as  any  I  have 
ever  known.  The  churches  were  greatly  humbled,  refreshed 
and  strengthened  by  them.  The  addition  of  converts  to  them, 
was  an  addition,  with  very  few  exceptions,  not  merely  of 
numbers,  but  of  light,  strength,  life,  and  influence.  Congre- 
gations were  increased  by  those  who  became,  if  not  pious, 
constant  attendants  on  public  worship.  Parishes  were  greatly 
strengthened,  and  pastors  were  more  firmly  established  in  the 
affection  and  confidence  of  their  people.  This  was  the  inva- 
riable result  where  he  labored  in  connection  with  a  pastor. 
Invariably,  pastors  found  themselves  greatly  improved  and 
benefited  by  intercourse  with  him,  and  by  his  labors.  Dr. 
Nettleton  was  very  careful  never  to  get  into  the  pastor's  place, 
but  to  keep  him  prominently  before  the  people,  as  their  regu- 
lar spiritual  guide.  He  delighted  to  strengthen  the  hands  of 
the  regular  shepherd,  and  frowned  on  the  slightest  insinuation 
against  him. 


356  MEMOIR     OF 

"  On  the  whole,  revivals  under  his  preaching  were  blessings 
to  the  churches,  to  the  parishes,  to  the  pastors,  and  to  multi- 
tudes of  souls  who  were  born  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  and 
most  devout  gratitude  is  due  to  the  Great  Head. of  the  church 
for  raising  up  a  man  so  remarkable  for  doing  great  good  and 
no  hurt,  in  such  delightful,  as  well  as  perilous  times. 

"  Most  truly  yours, 

"  C.  J.  Tenney." 

Dr.  Humphrey  says,  "  It  having  pleased  God  to  call  our 
beloved  brother  Nettleton  home  to  his  everlasting  rest,  I  rejoice 
to  learn  that  you  have  consented  to  prepare  a  memoir  of  his 
eminently  useful  and  devoted  life,  and  that  the  volume  is  ready 
for  the  press. 

"  As  it  was  one  of  the  highest  privileges  of  my  life,  to  enjoy 
his  acquaintance  and  friendship  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and 
as  you  have  been  pleased  to  ask  me  for  my  impressions  of  the 
man,  of  the  characteristics  of  his  preaching,  of  his  manner  of 
laboring  in  revivals,  and  of  their  permanent  influence  upon  the 
churches  and  congregations  where  he  labored,  I  do  not  feel  at 
liberty  altogether  to  decline.  When  such  a  man  as  Dr.  Net- 
tleton dies,  who  can  refrain  from  '  magnifying  the  grace  of  God 
that  was  in  him  V  I  only  regret  my  inability  to  do  it  worthily, 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances  ;  and  that  my  pressing 
engagements  will  not  allow  me  time  for  any  thing  more  than  a 
hasty  outline. 

"  Not  having  seen  a  word  of  vour  memoir,  I  cannot  tell 
how  far  your  judgment  and  my  own  may  coincide,  and  I  am 
glad  of  it.  What  you  want,  are  my  impressions  and  not  those 
of  yourself,  or  any  other  man  ;  and  you  shall  have  them  un- 
borrowed and  unmodified. 

"  In  my  estimation,  Dr.  Nettleton  was  a  great  man — not 
great,  merely  as  he  was  good,  but  great,  in  the  common  mean- 
ing of  the  term.  He  was  not  a  learned  man.  His  Master 
never  gave  him  time  to  distinguish  himself  as  a  scholar.     He 


DR.    NETTLETON. 

had  too  much  work  for  him  to  do  in  his  vineyard,  to  allow  it. 
Though  he  had  a  good  substantial  public  education,  Dr.  Net- 
tleton  made  no  pretentions  to  high  attainments  in  classical 
literature,  or  in  any  of  the  abstruse  sciences.  In  the  latter, 
he  might  have  excelled,  had-  not  his  soul  been  fired  with 
higher  and  holier  aims. 

"  In  his  theology,  Dr.  Nettleton  was  neither  a  '  high  nor  a 
low'  Calvinist.  While  he  admired  the  illustrious  Genevan 
Reformer,  and  subscribed,  ex  animo,  to  all  the  leading  doc- 
trines of  his  immortal  institutes,  he  called  neither  Calvin,  nor 
any  other  man  master.  He  was  an  Edwardean,  rather  than 
a  high  Calvinist ;  and  yet  profound  as  his  veneration  was  for 
that  '  greatest  of  theologians,'  as  Dr.  Chalmers  styles  Pres- 
ident. Edwards,  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  investigate  every  sub- 
ject for  himself.  With  his  little  duodecimo  Bible,  or  his 
Greek  Testament  always  in  his  hands,  he  was  one  of  the 
most  independent,  thinkers  that  I  have  ever  known.  He  was, 
I  might  almost  say,  the  last  man  to  be  captivated  with  vision- 
ary theories,  or  fanciful  analogies  and  interpretations.  Upon 
the  '  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone,'  he  stood  like  a  pillar 
upon  the  everlasting  rock.  Nothing  could  shake  him. 
Whether  he  ever  drew  out  his  system  on  paper,  I  do  not 
know  ;  but  if  he  did,  it  will  be  found  eminently  scriptural, 
lucid  and  symmetrical — nothing  more  and  nothing  less,  than 
sound,  well  digested  and  well  guarded  New  England  ortho- 
doxy. 

"  As  a  preacher,  Dr.  Nettleton  had  many  superiors,  in  what 
commonly  goes  under  the  name  of  pulpit  eloquence.  There 
was  nothing  particularly  captivating  in  his  voice,  in  his  style, 
or  his  delivery — nothing  to  make  you  admire  the  man,  or  his 
writing,  or  his  speaking  ;  or  in  any  way  to  divert  your  atten- 
tion from  the  truths  which  he  uttered.  His  prayers  were 
generally  short,  and  always  fervent,  scriptural  and  appropriate. 

When  he  rose  to  speak,  there  was  a  benignant  solemnity  in 


358  MEMOIR    OF 

his  countenance,  which  awed  the  most  thoughtless  into  seri- 
ousness, while  at  the  same  time  it  exerted  an  unwonted  desire 
to  hear  what  he  had  to  say.  He  had  a  voice  of  more  than 
ordinary  compass  and  power ;  and  though  there  was  nothing 
harsh  or  repulsive  in  its  modulations,  you  sometimes  regretted 
that  he  had  not  enjoyed  better  early  advantages  for  training  it. 
He  always  commenced  on  a  low  key,  enunciating  every  word 
and  syllable  so  distinctly,  however,  as  to  be  heard  without 
difficulty,  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  house.  So  simple  were 
his  sentences,  so  plain  and  unadorned  was  his  style,  and  so 
calm  was  his  delivery,  that  for  a  few  moments,  you  might 
have  thought  him  dull  and  sometimes  even  common  place,  but 
for  the  glance  of  his  piercing  eye,  and  an  undefinable  some- 
thing in  his  whole  manner,  which  insensibly  gained  and  riv- 
eted your  attention.  As  he  advanced,  and  his  heart  grew 
warm,  and  his  conceptions  vivid,  his  voice  caught  the  inspi- 
ration ;  his  lips  seemed  to  be  '  touched  with  a  live  coal  from 
off  the  altar  ;'  his  face  shone ;  every  muscle  and  feature 
spoke  ;  his  tones  were  deep  and  awfully  solemn  ;  his  gestures, 
though  he  never  flourished  off  a  prettiness  in  his  life,  were 
natural,  and  at  times  exceedingly  forcible.  But  his  eye,  after 
all,  was  the  master  power  in  his  delivery.  Full  and  clear  and 
sharp,  its  glances,  in  the  most  animated  parts  of  his  dis- 
courses were  quick  and  penetrating,  beyond  almost  any  thing 
I  recollect  ever  to  have  witnessed.  He  seemed  to  look  every 
hearer  in  the  face,  or  rather  to  look  into  his  soul,  almost  at 
one  and  the  same  moment.  You  felt  that  you  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  master,  and  never  stopped  to  inquire  whether  he 
was  a  good  or  a  bad  pulpil  orator.  Whatever  the  critics 
might  say,  in  one  thing  you  could  not  be  mistaken.  He 
arrested  your  attention,  and  made  you  feel,  for  the  time  at 
least,  that  religion  is  indeed  '  the  one  thing  needful.' 

Dr.  Nettleton's  delivery  was  always  solemn,  always  earn- 
est, and  not  seldom  even  vehement.  This  was  particularly 
the  case  in  the  height  of  those  numerous  and  powerful  revi- 


DR.    NETTLETON.  359 

vals  in  the  midst  of  which  he  labored  for  so  many  years. 
The  action  of  his  mind  was  intense.  The  yearnings  of  his 
soul  over  the  impenitent  were  irrepressible.  His  counte- 
nance, his  voice,  every  thing  showed  it.  And  yet,  incredible 
as  it  may  seem,  in  his  most  impassioned  appeals,  there  was 
not  a  particle  of  enthusiasm.  By  this  I  mean,  that  he  was 
never  hurried  away  into  any  extravagance  of  language,  or 
emotion.  He  never,  for  one  moment,  lost  the  balance  of  his 
mind.  He  was  always  perfectly  self-possessed.  I  have  seen 
him  in  circumstances  of  overpowering  interest,  when  the 
movements  of  the  Spirit  were  '  like  a  mighty  rushing  wind,' 
and  could  never  perceive  any  wavering  in  his  judgment  or  his 
prudence.  He  was  ever  the  same  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  lec- 
ture-room, and  in  the  inquiry  meeting — always  earnest  and 
solemn,  but  never  carried  away  by  his  feelings,  beyond  the 
bounds  of  propriety. 

"  Dr.  Nettleton's  sermons  were  plain,  solid,  evangelical, 
instructive  and  directly  to  the  purpose.  He  always  knew 
what  he  aimed  at,  and  he  seldom,  if  ever,  missed  his  mark. 
Dodging  was  of  no  avail.  His  style  was  perfectly  unadorn- 
ed. Tropes  and  metaphors  he  never  sought  for ;  and  I  am 
not  aware  that  they  ever  obtruded  themselves  upon  his  ima- 
gination. What  he  aimed  at  was  to  present  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  to  his  hearers,  in  the 
plainest  and  most  forcible  language  he  could  command. 

:'  The  oreat  power  of  his  preaching  consisted  in  its  perspi- 
cuity, its  directness,  its  fearless  exhibition  of  the  most  un- 
welcomed  truths  of  the  Bible,  and  its  earnest,  solemn,  and 
often  terrific  appeals  to  the  conscience.  No  preacher  that  I 
ever  heard,  could  make  the  law  thunder  louder  in  the  sinner's 
ear.  The  sword  of  the  spirit  was  his  only  weapon  ;  and  he 
wielded  it  with  extraordinary  dexterity  and  effect.  Few 
ministers,  I  believe,  have  ever  studied  the  windings  of  the 
natural  heart,  with  more  diligence  and  success,  than  he  did. 
Hence,  those  masterly  analyses,  which  used  so  often   to  star- 


360  MEMOIR    OF 

tie  his  hearers,  as  if  all  their  thoughts  had  been  suddenly  laid 
open  to  the  public  gaze.  In  reviewing  the  history  of  Dr. 
Nettleton's  life  and  labors,  it  is  as  clear  to  me  that  God  raised 
him  up  to  spend  his  best  days  in  promoting  revivals  of  reli- 
gion, as  that,  he  raised  up  Whitefield  for  the  same  service  on 
a  wider  theatre. .  They  were  as  unlike  in  many  respects,  as 
any  two  great  revival  preachers  could  be,  but  they  had  '  one 
Lord  and  one  faith' — the  same  love  for  souls,  and  the  same 
irrepressible  desire  to  win  as  many  of  them  as  possible,  to 
Christ.  Each  was  fitted  for  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  and 
for  the  work  to  which  he  was  called — Whitefield  to  blow  the 
trumpet  over  the  dead  and  buried  formalism  of  the  churches, 
both  in  Great  Britain  and  America  ;  Nettleton,  to  'strengthen 
the  things  that  remained  and  were  ready  to  die'  in  destitute 
churches  of  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  New  York,  and 
Virginia  ;  and  to  help  the  brethren  in  gathering  their  spiritual 
harvests. 

"  Having  no  pastoral  charge  to  confine  him,  and  no  family 
to  provide  for,  and  living,  I  may  say  for  years,  in  the  midst  of 
these  '  mighty  works,'  he  was  under  better  advantages  for 
observing  all  the  '  diversities  of  operations  by  the  Spirit,' 
which  are  disclosed  in  '  times  of  refreshing,'  than  any  of  his 
immediate  predecessors,  or  early  contemporaries  ;  and  his 
Master  had  endowed  him  with  the  requisite  gifts,  both  intel- 
lectual and  moral,  to  make  the  most  of  these  advantages. 
Shrewd,  (pardon  the  epithet,  as  no  other  would  so  exactly 
express  it,)  observing,  cautious,  discriminating,  and  at  the 
same  time,  '  fervent,  in  spirit,'  and  mightily  '  constrained  by 
the  love  of  Christ,'  he  was  most  happily  guarded  against 
feverish  impulses  on  the  one  hand,  and  antinomian  presump- 
tion on  the  other.  Enjoying,  as  he  did,  for  so  many  years, 
the  best  possible  opportunity  for  studying  the  theory  of  revi- 
vals, his  benevolent,  inquisitive  and  ardent  mind  would  not 
allow  him  to  rest  satisfied,  without  putting  it  to  the  most  rigid 
test  of   scripture,  experience   and  observation.     Herein   he 


DR.    NETTLETON.  361 

was  in  the  truest  sense  a  christian  philosopher,  and  his  phi- 
losophy was  strictly  Baconian.  It  consisted  in  observing 
phenomena  and  recording  facts.  I  have  long  thought,  and  it 
is  still  my  deliberate  conviction,  that  he  understood  the  whole 
subject  of  revivals,  better  than  any  man  with  whom  I  ever 
conversed  or  labored.  He  had  studied  it  more  profoundly. 
Indeed  no  man  could  well  be  a  more  perfect  master  of  his 
business  or  profession.  Neither  Caesar  nor  Napoleon  ever 
studied  the  art  of  war  with  greater  assiduity,  than  he  did  the 
heavenly  art  of  winning  souls  to  Christ.  This  may  seem 
extravagant — I  presume  it  will  to  some  readers  ;  but  why 
should  it  ?  Had  he  not  far  higher  motives  for  bending  all  the 
energies  of  his  mind  to  learn  how  to  save  men,  than  they 
could  have  had  for  learning  howT  to  destroy  them  ? 

"But  you  wish  me  to  say  something  of  his  manner  of 
laboring  in  revivals,  and  of  their  general  character  under  his 
preaching  and  management.  This  I  am  the  more  ready  to 
do,  from  having  had  the  best  opportunities  to  observe  and 
judge  in  one  of  them,  which  I  have  often  since  heard  him 
speak  of  as  among  the  most  powerful  he  ever  witnessed. 
He  was  with  me  three  months,  day  and  night,  during  which 
I  saw  and  heard  every  thing.  I  was  anxious  to  learn  all  I 
could  from  one  whose  labors  had  been  so  eminently  owned 
and  blessed  by  the  Divine  Head  of  the  church,  and  not  being, 
if  I  may  say  it,  of  an  enthusiastical  temperament  myself,  I 
think  I  was  enabled  to  form  a  pretty  correct  judgment  of  his 
preaching,  of  his  daily  intercourse  with  sinners  in  every  stage 
of  awakening  and  conversion,  and  of  the  effect  of  those 
measures  which  he  had  been  testing  in  scores  of  other  revi- 
vals. 

"  It  has  been  said,  that  in  such  seasons,  we  ought  to  look 
to  God  continually  in  fervent  believing  prayer,  just  as  if  he 
was  the  sole  agent  in  carrying  on  the  work,  and  at  the  same 
time,  to  labor  with  all  our  might,  just  as  if  we  had  it  all  to  do 
ourselves.  This  was  Dr.  Nettleton's  view  of  the  matter,  and 
31 


362  MEMOIR    OF 

no  man,  perhaps,  ever  more  fully  carried  it  out  in  practice 
than  he  did.  In  his  creed,  the  whole  process  of  awakening, 
conviction  and  regeneration,  was  by  the  sovereign  and  special 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  For  this  he  prayed,  and  exhort- 
ed others  to  pray  without  ceasing,  while  at  the  same  time,  he 
labored  with  as  much  assiduity  for  the  conversion  of  sinners, 
as  if  his  Master  had  devolved  the  whole  responsibility  upon 
him.  His  theory  was,  that  while  '  the  excellency  of  the 
power  is  all  of  God,'  he  works  by  means,  no  less  in  the  moral 
than  in  the  natural  world.  This  led  him  to  study  the  econo- 
my of  grace  in  revivals,  with  the  deepest  interest ;  and  as  the 
result  of  it,  to  adopt  the  measures  and  use  the  means  which 
seemed  to  him  best  adapted  to  the  end. 

"  I  do  not  say  that  his  manner  of  conducting  revivals,  was 
in  all  respects  the  best  that  could  have  been  adopted  ;  much 
less  that  it  would  be  best  for  every  minister ;  but  I  have  yet 
to  learn,  that  a  better  and  safer  system  of  measures  has  been 
devised.  Taken  as  a  whole,  it  commends  itself,  to  my  judg- 
ment and  observation,  as  eminently  wise  and  guarded  and 
scriptural.  It  was  characterized  by  a  deep  and  profound 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  as  I  think  might  easily  be  shown, 
did  my  limits  permit.  Let  those  who  come  after,  improve 
upon  it,  or  devise  a  better  if  they  can.  While  I  am  far  from 
believing  that  nothing  remains  to  be  learned  in  the  heavenly 
art  of  winning  souls  to  Christ,  quite  sure  I  am,  that  few  if  any 
of  those  professed  revivalists  who  have  succeeded  Dr.  Nettle- 
ton,  and  made  the  most  noise  in  the  churches,  are  the  men  to 
1  show  us  a  more  excellent  way.'  They  have  done  what  they 
could  with  strong  lungs,  startling  appeals,  new  measures,  and 
sweeping  denunciations,  and  the  blighting;  effects  are  truly 
mournful.  In  some  wide  districts  which  they  have  overrun, 
it  is  to  be  feared  the  churches  will  not  recover  from  the  des- 
olating irruption  for  half  a  century.  Most  unwarrantable  is 
the  appeal  which  they  sometimes  make  to  Dr.  Nettleton,  as 
their  fore-runner  and  exemplar.     Nothing  gave  him  so  much 


DR.    NETTLETON.  363 

concern,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  as  the  manner  in 
which  revivals  were  corrupted  and  brought  into  discredit  and 
run  down,  by  noisy,  rash  and  impetuous  evangelists.  It 
grieved  him  to  the  heart,  that  so  many  churches  in  the  land 
were  ready  to  countenance  them,  and  he  earnestly  protested 
against  their  errors  and  extravagances,  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
Though  he  would  not  deny,  that  there  might  be  some  real 
conversions  in  the  great  excitements  which  attended  their 
preaching,  it  was  his  solemn  and  painful  conviction,  that  mul- 
titudes were  deceived  with  false  hopes,  who,  under  different 
instruction  and  measures,  might  have  been  brought  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  the  truth. 

"  In  his  own  management  in  times  of  revivals,  by  preaching 
and  personal  intercourse,  nothing  was  more  deserving  of  being 
studied  and  imitated,  than  his  thoroughness,  caution  and  dis- 
crimination. In  these  respects,  there  was  a  heaven-wide  dif- 
ference between  Dr.  Nettleton  and  some  of  the  most  noted 
of  his  professed  imitators.  Being  thoroughly  '  rooted  and 
grounded  in  the  truth'  himself,  his  presentations  of  it  were 
clear,  pungent  and  searching.  His  revival  topics  were  sys- 
tematically and  admirably  arranged.  In  his  discourses  he 
began  at  the  beginning.  A  full  believer  in  the  total  depravity 
of  the  human  heart,  he  arraigned  sinners,  whether  young  or 
old,  as  rebels  against  God,  and  made  the  threatenings  of  the 
law  thunder  in  their  ears,  as  but  few  preachers  have  power  to 
do.  With  him,  acting  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ,  there  was 
no  such  thing  as  compromise.  The  rebels  must  l  throw  down 
their  arms,'  and  submit  unconditionally,  or  he  would  give  them 
no  hope  of  pardon.  Hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  can  witness, 
what  a  terrible  dissecter  he  was  of  the  'joints  and  the  mar- 
row.' At  the  same  time  that  he  showed  the  impenitent  they 
were  lost,  he  made  them  feel  that  they  had  '  destroyed  them- 
selves.' It  was  difficult  to  say  which  he  made  plainest,  their 
danger  or  their  guilt ;  their  immediate  duty  to  repent,  or  the 
certainty  that  without  being  drawn  and  renewed  by  the  Spirit 


364  MEMOIR    OF 

of  God,  they  never  would  repent.  It  was  in  vain  for  them  to 
retreat  from  one  refuge  to  another.  He  was  sure  to  strip 
them  of  all  their  vain  excuses,  and  deliver  them  over  to  their 
consciences,  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  law  and  justice. 
He  preached  what  are  called  the  hard  doctrines,  such  as 
divine  sovereignty,  election,  and  regeneration,  with  great 
plainness,  discrimination  and  power.  His  grand  aim  was  to 
instruct,  convince  and  persuade  ;  to  this  end,  his  appeals  were 
constantly  made  to  the  understanding,  the  conscience  and  the 
heart.  The  passions  he  never  addressed,  nor  were  his  dis- 
courses at  all  calculated  to  excite  them.  Any  outbreak  of 
mere  animal  feeling,  he  was  always  afraid  of,  as  tending  to 
warp  the  judgment,  and  beget  false  hopes.  His  grand  aim 
was  to  instruct  his  hearers  as  thoroughly,  and  point  out  the 
difference  between  true  and  spurious  conversion  so  clearly, 
as  to  make  it  difficult  for  them  to  get  hopes  at  all,  without  ood 
spiritual  evidence  on  which  to  found  them.  Knowing  how 
apt  persons  are  to  cling  to  their  hopes,  whether  good  or  bad, 
he  depended  much  more  upon  holding  them  back,  till  they 
had  good  evidence,  than  upon  shaking  them  from  their  false 
foundations. 

"  As  might  have  been  expected  under  such  a  course  of 
instruction,  the  great  majority  of  those  who  came  out  and  pro- 
fessed religion,  so  far  as  I  have  had  opportunity  to  observe, 
have  '  worn  well.'  They  have  proved  intelligent,  stable  and 
consistent  christians.  The  revivals  under  Dr.  Nettleton's 
preaching,  always  strengthened  the  churches,  and  strength- 
ened the  pastors  where  they  had  them.  I  do  not  believe  that 
an  instance  to  the  contrary  can  be  adduced  from  the  whole 
wide  field  of  his  labors,  nor  that  a  single  church  can  be  pointed 
out,  which  does  not  to  this  day  feel  their  blessed  influence. 
How  different  from  the  sad  experience  of  hundreds  of  churches, 
congregations,  and  ministers,  under  the  sway  of  bold,  and 
reckless,  and  disorganizing  revivalists.  How  many  once 
united  and  flourishing  churches,  have  been  divided  or  broken 


D  It  .     NETTLETON.  365 

Up,  and  how  many  worthy  pastors  have  been  undermined  and 
driven  away  by  them.  '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.' 
'  The  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work,  of  what  sort  it  is.' 
Brought  to  these  tests,  all  the  great  revivals  under  Dr.  Net- 
tleton's  labors,  will  stand  on  the  records  of  the  church,  in  stri- 
king contrast,  as  so  many  bright  evidences  of  his  wisdom, 
fidelity,  and  eminent  usefulness. 

"  Thus,  my  dear  brother,  have  I  complied  with  your 
request,  as  fully  as  time  and  limits  would  allow.  1  might 
have  said  much  more,  and  should  have  been  glad  to  have  put 
down  many  striking  facts  and  incidents,  which  fell  under  my 
own  observation  in  the  revival  at  Pittsfield,  as  illustrative  of 
Dr.  Nettleton's  eminent  qualifications  for  the  great  work  to 
which  his  Master  called  him.  But  the  foregoing  hasty  and 
very  imperfect  outline  must  suffice.  '  His  record  is  on  high,' 
and  his  'name  will  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance.'  I 
have  no  doubt,  that  amid  the  glories  of  the  millenial  day,  and 
the  brighter  glories  of  heaven,  he  will  stand  conspicuous  on 
the  catalogue  of  those,  who, '  having  turned  many  to  righteous- 
ness, will  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the 
stars  forever  and  ever.' 

u  I  am  very  sincerely  and  affectionately 

Yours,  H.  Humphrey. 

"  Amherst  College,  August  5,  1844." 

The  following  letter  from  a  distinguished  layman,  has  been 
received  since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  work. 

"  Augusta,  Me.,  Jan.  1,  1845. 
"  Respected  Sir, 
"  While  employing  the  evening  of  life  in  reading  such  of  the 
various  publications  of  this  enlightened  age  as  come  within  my 
reach,  your  Memoir  of  Dr.  Nettleton  has  been  put  into  my 
hands,  which  has  so  absorbed  my  attention,  that  I  could  not 
dismiss  it  until  I  had  reached  the  last  page.     Surely  the  char- 
acter of  this  excellent  man  deserves  a  place  in  our  religious 
31* 


366  MEMOIR    OF 

annals  ;  and  I  am  nappy  to  find  it  so  ably  and  minutely  execu- 
ted and  laid  before  the  public  for  the  benefit  of  future  genera- 
tions. Here  is  abundant  proof  that  the  uncorrupted  doctrines 
of  Calvin,  drawn  from  the  scriptures  of  truth,  are  the  weapons 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  chooses  to  employ  in  the  conviction  and 
conversion  of  sinners  ;  and  a  complete  practical  refutation  of 
all  attempts  to  change  or  modify  those  doctrines,  in  order  to 
render  them  palatable  to  the  views  of  the  carnal  mind.  And 
it  must  be  a  source  of  high  satisfaction  to  you,  sir,  to  witness 
in  the  ministerial  career  of  Dr.  Nettlcton,  such  ample  proof 
that  the  doctrines  you  have  contended  for,  have  been  so  con- 
spicuously owned  and  acknowledged  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  And 
we  have  the  attestation  of  an  inspired  Apostle,  that  the  weap- 
ons of  the  gospel  ministry  '  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through 
God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds,  casting  down  imagin- 
ations, and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every  thought 
to  the  obedience  of  Christ.' 

"  The  character  of  this  sainted  hero  may  be  further  illustra- 
ted by  a  quotation  from  Pollok,  one  of  his  favorite  authors,  with 
which  I  conclude. 

'  High  in  the  temple  of  the  living  God 
He  stood  amidst  the  people,  and  declared 
Aloud  the  truth,  the  whole  revealed  truth, 
Ready  to  seal  it  with  his  blood.     Divine 
Resemblance  most  complete  ;  with  mercy  now 
And  love,  his  face  illumed,  shone  gloriously  : 
And  frowning  now  indignantly,  it  seemed 
As  if  offended  Justice,  from  his  eye, 
Streamed  forth  vindictive  wrath  !     Man  heard, 
Th'  uncircumcised  infidel  believed  ; 
Light-thoughted  mirth  grew  serious  and  wept ; 
The  laugh  profane  sunk  in  a  sigh  of  deep 
Repentance  ;  the  blasphemer,  kneeling,  prayed, 
And  prostrate  in  the  dust,  for  mercy  called. 
Such  was  his  calling,  his  commission  such. 
Yet  he  was  humble,  kind,  forgiving,  meek, 
Easy  to  be  entreated,  gracious,  mild  ; 
And  with  all  patience  and  affection,  taught, 


DR.     NETTLETON 


367 


Rebuked,  persuaded,  solaced,  counseled,  warned, 
In  fervent  style  and  manner. 

A  skillful  workman  he 
In  God's  great  moral  vineyard  ,  what  to  prune 
With  cautious  hand  he  knew,  what  to  uproot  ; 
What  were  mere  weeds,  and  what  celestial  plants 
Which  had  immortal  vigor  in  them,  knew  ; 
Nor  knew  alone,  but  watched  them  night  and  day, 
And  reared  and  nourished  them,  till  fit  to  be 
Transplanted  to  the  paradise  above. 

Oh,  who  can  speak  his  praise  !  great  humble  man ! 
He  in  the  current  of  destruction  stood, 
And  warned  the  sinner  of  his  wo  ;  led  on 
ImmanuePs  soldiers  in  the  evil  day, 
And  with  the  everlasting  arms  embraced 
Himself  around,  stood  in  the  dreadful  front 
Of  battle  high,  and  warred  victoriously 
With  death  and  hell.     And  now  is  come  his  rest, 
His  triumph  day.1  [Course  of  Time  pp.  200, 201 . 

"  With  respect  and  esteem,  I  am,  dear  Sir, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"H.  Sewall." 


